


everything stays

by xlightless



Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Family, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-01-06 00:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12200766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xlightless/pseuds/xlightless
Summary: Yongguk and Himchan don’t think they quite fit the quota to care for other people, yet somehow, they’re always picking up strays.





	1. Chapter 1

Yongguk and Himchan.

Himchan and Yongguk.

They’re kind of a package deal.

Even before everything went to shit, they were nearly inseparable. They shared an apartment, paid bills together, bought groceries together. It was all really domestic.

It was…nice having Himchan there to lean on when the world collapsed. 

“We’ll need to move soon,” Himchan says. His voice is quiet as he peers through the sniper scope. He leans back with a sigh. “The hordes are getting closer. When they get to the city, we’ll be trapped.”

Yongguk leans forward. “Let me see.”

Himchan hands the sniper to Yongguk. He looks into the scope, aiming it towards the edge of the city. He can see an undulating mass in the horizon. Definitely zombies. It’s common for the hordes to wander into cities in search of food. This isn’t the first time Yongguk and Himchan have moved cities.

The first time, though, was the hardest.

“We better start packing, then,” Yongguk says as he hands the sniper back to Himchan. “We’ll need to look for a car, too.”

Himchan hums in agreement as he packs the sniper into its case. 

The streets are quiet as they walk back to their apartment. The strong scent of death lingers in the humid summer air. Himchan pulls his mask above his mouth, and Yongguk does the same. It doesn’t help much. They walk past rotting corpses and dilapidated cars. It’s like looking at snapshots of a previous world. They’ve learned not to dwell too much on the past lives of the dead. It’s better for their sanity.

They hear the occasional scuffle and groan come from an alleyway, but they walk fast enough to stay undetected.

The sun begins to dip behind the tallest buildings when they reach their apartment. Yongguk heads into the kitchen to cook dinner and Himchan goes to the bedroom to put away the sniper.

“Do you want canned beans or Spam for dinner?” Yongguk asks, holding the cans in his hands. He stares at the two, pursing his lips.

Himchan pokes his head from the bedroom with a wide grin. “I get to choose tonight? What’s the occasion?”

Yongguk shrugs. He turns around and holds up the two cans to Himchan.

“Spam. We’ve had beans for a while,” Himchan replies before disappearing into the bedroom again.

Yongguk nods as he puts the beans away and peels open the lid on the Spam. He cuts the block as he waits for the pan to heat up. Once it’s ready, he places each slice one by one, almost smiling at the familiar sizzling sound.

“Wow, I haven’t heard that in a while,” Himchan suddenly says from behind Yongguk. In a quieter voice, he adds, “Reminds me of home.”

Yongguk is suddenly thrown back to last year in a different, smaller apartment. It feels like it’s been a thousand years since then. He blinks and he’s back in the present. He moves in silence.

“I’m sorry,” Himchan says, wrapping his arms around Yongguk’s waist. He buries his face into Yongguk’s shoulder, and Yongguk closes his eyes as Himchan’s warmth seeps into his body.

“It’s okay,” Yongguk says.

Yongguk really doesn’t know what he’d do without Himchan.

“You stink,” Himchan mutters.

“So do you,” Yongguk replies with a small laugh.

——  
——

They don’t have many things anymore. After moving from city to city, from one abandoned apartment to the next, it doesn’t make sense to become too attached to the things they find. Their bags are full of supplies anyway.

Himchan sits on the couch with his backpack beside him, holding a doll in his hand. She’s dressed in a bright red hanbok with a wide smile on her face. His thumb brushes against the faux silk. The look in his eyes sits somewhere between sadness and nostalgia.

“You ready to go?” Yongguk asks as he emerges from the kitchen.

Himchan looks up and nods. He places the doll down, sitting it upright against the cushion before standing up. He shoulders his backpack before leaving the apartment with Yongguk. He smiles at Himchan a little, trying to give him a little reassurance, but he isn’t sure if it’s helping. He isn’t even entirely sure what the reassurance is for. Himchan smiles back, though. 

It’s still early in the morning when they leave the apartment. The sky is a muted orange and pink as the sun begins to rise in the horizon. A chilly breeze blows in between the buildings. Himchan crosses his arms above his chest to keep all the warmth from escaping his body. They walk past stumbling hordes of zombies, climb over crashed cars, and squeeze into alleyways to reach the outskirts of the city. The chances of finding a working car are greater there and it’s easier to navigate through the city’s maze without one.

“Have you ever wondered what the end of the world would have looked like?” Himchan asks as he climbs over the hood of a car.

Yongguk shrugs as he follows Himchan. “Not really. That one American show got it all wrong, though.”

“Which one?” Himchan asks because there were so many.

Yongguk looks up at the sky in thought, then snaps his fingers. “The Walking Dead. Way too interpersonal.”

Himchan laughs, not too loud because there’s a horde just a block over, but it’s a laugh all the same. Yongguk finds himself smiling, too. “It’s a drama. It’s supposed to be over the top.”

When they reach the outskirts of the city, the sun is already above the buildings, beating down the summer heat on their backs. Himchan can’t wait to just get inside of a car and feel the wind blow against his face.

“You think this looks good?” Yongguk asks, stopping beside a red, beaten-down car. Other than the appearance, it looks untouched.

Himchan shrugs. “One way to find out.”

Yongguk breaks the window and carefully reaches for the lock. Once he pulls the door open, he climbs inside and unlocks the passenger side. Himchan walks to the other side of the car and sits beside Yongguk, their backpacks in between his legs.

Yongguk leans forward, the side of his cheek pressed against the steering wheel, and begins fiddling with the wiring. It takes him a good couple of minutes, but the engine manages to come to life, and Himchan sighs in relief. At least they don’t have to look for another car.

Yongguk drives down the road, navigating around the other cars scattered on it, but once they get on the empty highway, his speed is easily over 100. The wind whistles through the open window, cooling them both down. Himchan closes his eyes, feeling the tension in his shoulders slowly melt away onto the asphalt.

“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me. You’re my navigation,” Yongguk says, nudging Himchan with his elbow.

Himchan pulls a map from his backpack and throws the backpacks onto the seat behind him. “Where are we?”

“Fuck, I don’t know,” Yongguk replies.

“Then, slow down and maybe I can read some signs,” Himchan says as he unfolds the map.

Yongguk glances at Himchan with a smirk on his lips. “Nah.” 

Himchan looks in horror as the speedometer creeps up 110, 115, 120. 

“Yongguk!” Himchan exclaims, hitting Yongguk’s arm. 

Yongguk laughs and eases off the gas. The car is still going too fast for Himchan’s liking, but at least it isn’t going any faster. He can feel his heart beating at the same speed as the car.

“I’m not going to die by zombies, am I?” Himchan says. “We’re gonna crash before then.”

“At least we’ll die together,” Yongguk replies with that same smirk on his face.

Himchan makes a disgusted face and looks down at the map. “What city were we in again?”

“Um,” Yongguk pauses as he places his other hand on the steering wheel.

Himchan notices. “If you lose control of this car, I swear to fuck I will strangle you as we barrel roll off the highway.”

Yongguk laughs, but it’s strained. His knuckles turn white as he tightens his grip on the steering wheel. Himchan notices Yongguk’s foot easing the brakes. “I won’t lose control of the car. What are you talking about? I got this.”

“You’re lucky the road is a straight shot,” Himchan says.

Yongguk laughs uneasily again.

——

“You know, even with all this shit, I think every time we move cities, it’s like a road trip,” Himchan says, his steps falling in unison with Yongguk’s. “I feel like we’re in college again. I’m just waiting for someone to drive by and pick us up.”

The sun is still well above the hills, but it’s only a matter of time before the sun dips behind them. They abandoned the car a while ago because it ran out of gas, but according to the map, they’re several more miles from the next city.

“That’s one way to put it,” Yongguk says. “I doubt someone will pick us up, though.”

“You never know,” Himchan replies with a shrug.

Before Yongguk can reply, he hears something being carried in the wind. It sounds like an engine rumbling.

“Do you hear that?” Yongguk asks, coming to a complete stop. 

Himchan stops beside him, trying to listen for whatever Yongguk heard. “Um, no…”

“Wait, shh,” Yongguk says. He turns around as the sound grows steadily louder.

Himchan blinks as he realizes what the sound is. “Is that a car?”

Yongguk doesn’t respond. He squints in the distance, holding his hands up to his eyes as a shield against the setting sun. He can see the silhouette of a car approaching them. “Holy shit, I think it is.”

“You think they’ll give us a ride?” Himchan asks. 

“We shouldn’t take that chance,” Yongguk replies. He begins to pull Himchan off the side of the road and into the overgrown bushes. “They might steal our shit.”

They duck into the bushes and Yongguk peeks through the branches as the car rolls past. His heart beats quickly in his chest and his hand grips Himchan’s arm tight.

“Bbang,” Himchan whispers. “My arm.”

“Sorry,” Yongguk replies as he releases Himchan’s arm. 

The car comes to a stop, the engine still turned on. Yongguk frowns.

“Hey!” It’s a man’s voice.

Yongguk looks at Himchan. 

What do we do? Himchan mouths silently.

Yongguk shrugs.

“I saw you guys from, like, a mile away,” the man says. “Do you need a ride?”

Let’s go? Himchan mouths, nodding his head in the direction of the car.

Yongguk gives him an incredulous look.

Himchan slowly raises from his crouch. When Yongguk grips his arm to stop him, he just tugs Yongguk up with him.

Himchan smiles at the young man leaning to look out the passenger side window of his car. “Hey, stranger.”

“Hello, yourself,” the man replies with the same friendly smile. He seems nice enough. “You two heading to Wonju?”

“Yeah,” Himchan says.

Yongguk looks from Himchan to the stranger in the car, still wary.

“I’m heading the same way. I can give you guys a ride,” the stranger says. His eyes flit to Yongguk. “If you want.”

Himchan glances at Yongguk. He lowers his voice, leaning close to Yongguk’s ear. “Come on, Bbang, it’s only for a couple more miles. Plus, it’s gonna get dark soon, and we still need to find somewhere to spend the night.”

Yongguk sighs and gives in. “Fine, alright, but if something happens, I’m putting a bullet in his head, okay?”

Himchan smiles and turns to the stranger. “We’ll come with you.”

The stranger smiles. “Awesome!”

Yongguk and Himchan climb in the backseat of the car, and the stranger begins driving down the road.

“I’m Daehyun,” he says, glancing into the backseat. 

Yongguk and Himchan realize that the stranger just gave his name. Yongguk glances at Himchan, hoping it says that they shouldn’t give their own names, or give at least fake names.

“I’m Himchan. And this is Yongguk,” Himchan says, patting Yongguk’s thigh in what he hopes is reassurance.

Yongguk gives Himchan a look that he hopes conveys the proper emotion associated with his silent Himchan, what the fuck, stop.

“Cool,” Daehyun says with a nod. He taps the steering wheel with his fingers a couple times. “So, um, where are you guys from? Like before this whole zombie thing happened.”

Himchan appreciates the guy’s light conversation. It’s a refreshing difference from what he talks about with Yongguk. Not that Yongguk is bad. “I’m from Seoul.” He nudges Yongguk, who gives a side glare.

“Incheon,” Yongguk says.

Daehyun nods. “So he talks!” He glances back to give Yongguk a smile (Yongguk forces himself to smile back because he doesn’t want to come off as too untrusting) before focusing back on the road. “I’m from Busan.”

“Wow, you’re pretty far from home, aren’t you?” Himchan asks. Busan is on the south side of the peninsula, and he wonders how Daehyun has come this far.

Daehyun shrugs. “Well, I was living with a couple friends in Seoul for university for a bit, so Wonju actually isn’t too far.”

“University?” Himchan asks. Daehyun doesn’t look that young, but then again, he doesn’t look that old. “How old are you?”

“Twenty,” Daehyun replies. 

Himchan looks at Yongguk. When they meet eyes, they seem to be thinking the same thing. He’s still a kid.

“Wow. And…you’re all alone out here?” Himchan asks. Yongguk places his hand on Himchan’s arm, trying to tell him Stop it, that’s enough.

Daehyun is quiet for a moment. He taps the steering wheel with his fingertips as he maneuvers around scattered cars. They must be getting closer to Wonju. 

“I’d rather avoid large groups,” Daehyun says in a voice that’s far more cynical than a twenty-year-old’s should be. “They’re all just really, um, troublesome.”

The car is quiet after that. Himchan looks out the window, staring at the passing scenery, streaked yellow and orange with the setting sun.

“We’ll be entering Wonju shortly,” Daehyun says like he’s a flight attendant. It’s obvious he’s trying to sound cheerful again, but his voice is a little strained. 

“Hey, thanks for giving us a ride,” Himchan says.

Daehyun looks into the rearview mirror and gives Himchan a smile. “Thanks for the company.”

When they reach Wonju and have to leave the car behind because the roads are blocked, they decide to part. 

“It’s been fun while it lasted,” Himchan says as he shoulders his backpack with a grunt. “Thanks again.”

Yongguk doesn’t say anything, but he nods when he meets Daehyun’s eyes.

Daehyun gives Yongguk and Himchan a theatrical bow, his head low. “I should be the one thanking you guys.”

Himchan smiles at Daehyun, waving as he turns around with Yongguk beside him. He won’t deny the way his heart aches a little when he catches the hint of sadness in Daehyun’s eyes.

“Be careful, okay, kid?” Yongguk calls over his shoulder.

“You too,” Daehyun replies.

——

Yongguk and Himchan wander through the streets of Wonju, searching for an apartment. Most of the buildings they come across are stores that have been broken into. The streets are cracked with sprouting weeds and other plants. It’s less crowded than the previous city, but not by too much.

“It’s like we’re house hunting,” Himchan says.

“We kinda are,” Yongguk replies. 

Himchan smiles. He intertwines his arm around Yongguk’s, falling into step with him. “This is so cute. It’s almost like the zombies haven’t taken over.”

“If that’s how you wanna put it,” Yongguk says as he steps over a circle of dried brown blood on the asphalt.

They walk in silence for a couple minutes, comfortable with each other’s presence.

“You’re really warm,” Yongguk complains, but he doesn’t do anything else to make Himchan move.

“It’s getting cold so we gotta keep each other warm,” Himchan says with a grin. He looks up a hill at several high rise apartments. “What do you think about those?”

Yongguk turns to where Himchan is pointing and shrugs. “Let’s go check them out.”

They trudge up the hill to the apartment buildings. The evening air that blows against their backs might have been refreshing if only it didn’t smell like the inside of a dead bear’s mouth.

The first building is completely stripped of what it once was. Every window on the first floor is smashed in. A light further inside flickers ominously. The ceiling of the first floor caved in, some of the wiring falling through like shadowy tentacles. If they listen closely, they can hear the faint shuffling and groans of zombies inside.

“Wow, look how cute this one is. Looks like the type we could raise our family in,” Himchan says with a laugh in his voice.

Yongguk smiles as he pulls Himchan further up the street. “I think there’s one closer to the school.”

“How sweet, thinking about our children’s education,” Himchan says.

“If our kids aren’t the top of their class,” Yongguk pauses, a smug smirk on his face, “like I was, then I’ve failed as a parent.”

Himchan scoffs, punching Yongguk’s shoulder. “You gotta lower your expectations a little bit, Bbang. I refuse to raise a bunch of nerds.”

“You’re basically married to one.”

Himchan raises his eyebrows. “Nice self-burn. Those are rare.”

“How about that one?” Yongguk asks, pointing to a nearby building. 

It’s smaller than the surrounding buildings, but it’s in better condition. They can’t see anything from where they’re at because the inside is engulfed in darkness.

“Let’s go,” Himchan replies, letting go of Yongguk’s arm to grab the switchblade in his pocket. 

Yongguk is the first to enter the building, flashlight in hand, with Himchan close behind him. It’s always worked this way. One looking out for the other. They don’t see any other way for them to work. It doesn’t take them too long to get used to the stifling darkness. Even though Himchan can only see the faintest silhouette of Yongguk’s figure, he feels less lonely. He’s sure Yongguk feels the same way.

“Zombie up ahead,” Yongguk whispers with a glance over his shoulder. “Get ready.”

Himchan nods, hearing the faint grunts and groans of zombie activity.

When they round the corner, they see one crouched over a mangled corpse. It doesn’t react to the light coming from Yongguk. It chews on a bone, its teeth making clicking sounds as it bites down. Its back is facing them, the clothes filthy and tattered.

Yongguk approaches the zombie from one side and Himchan goes to the other. He grips the blade tightly in his hands, his muscles tense. He glances at Yongguk, waiting for the signal to move. When Yongguk nods, Himchan charges the zombie, his footsteps making quiet taps against the tile. The zombie looks up, its eyes oozing some thick pus-like substance. 

Himchan drives his blade into the zombie’s head. He grits his teeth as the skull crumples like paper and spurts black blood. 

“Gross,” Himchan mutters when the blood gets on his hand; it’s thick and sticks to the crevices in between his fingers. He takes the blade out of the zombie’s skull, and wipes his hand on his pants. “There better be working water in here.”

“We don’t even know if we’re staying here yet,” Yongguk replies, handing Himchan a napkin he picked up in the previous room. “You’re getting better at this.”

Himchan smiles at Yongguk as he scrubs his hand. “Aw, you’re too sweet. You’re making me blush.”

Yongguk playfully shoves Himchan’s shoulder as he takes the lead again.

They come across a couple more zombies while looking for a suitable apartment, but they aren’t too challenging to take care of. The higher they go, the less ruined the building becomes. Yongguk stops to peek into an open apartment.

“You find anything in there?” Himchan asks, coming up beside Yongguk.

The hallway leading inside is small and the ground is littered with papers and other junk. Yongguk’s shoulders nearly brush against the walls as he steps further inside. He turns back to look back at Himchan. “I don’t know. You think this looks good?”

Himchan squeezes through the hallway to find himself in a space no bigger than the living room in their first apartment. The windows overlook the dark city. When he turns around, he sees stairs against the wall leading to a loft about five feet from the ceiling. Beneath the stairs is a tiny kitchen.

“It’s an officetel. How quaint,” Himchan says. “Let’s stay here.”

Yongguk smiles at Himchan’s response. He places the flashlight on the kitchen counter and drops his backpack to the ground. “Alright. First up is the door.”

Himchan places his backpack beside Yongguk’s and follows him into the hallway again to figure out how to barricade the door.

——

When Yongguk opens his eyes the next morning to bright sunlight, he turns to his right and finds Himchan still sleeping, his chest falling and rising steadily. He crawls off the mattress, half-crouching, half-walking towards the stairs. He walks down with heavy steps and a yawn that pricks the edges of his eyes with tears.

He looks out the window, his arms crossed over his chest. The city is as quiet as the countryside. Standing by the window and looking out at the scenery bathed in the warm morning light makes him feel like he’s back in his apartment. Glimpses of sprouting greenery peek from in between the crevices of the concrete buildings. The sky is tinted pink and violet as the sun rises.

The world may have ended, but Yongguk realizes that it’s never looked more colorful.

“It’s a lot nicer in the day, isn’t it?” 

Yongguk turns around and finds Himchan sitting on the floor by the mattress and leaning on the railing with a sleepy smile on his face. He won’t deny how beautiful Himchan looks in the glow of the light. Even with dirt and sweat clinging to his clothes and skin, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Himchan so alive.

“Yeah,” Yongguk replies with a half-smile. “It really is.”

“What’s on the agenda today, captain?” Himchan asks.

“Well, breakfast,” Yongguk replies. “We have leftover Spam from last night.”

Himchan hums, stretching his arms above his head. “Sounds good.”

“Then, we can go scout the area after,” Yongguk continues. “See where the good scavenging spots are.”

“Sounds even better,” Himchan says. He leans on the railing again.

Yongguk walks to his backpack and pulls out the leftover Spam wrapped neatly in a handkerchief. He heads up the stairs again, ducking his head so he doesn’t hit the ceiling. He sits beside Himchan, placing the handkerchief in between them.

“How do you think Daehyun is doing?” Himchan asks as he nibbles on a slice of Spam.

Yongguk chews slowly, trying to think of a decent answer. He can’t come up with one. “I…don’t know. I hope he’s alright.”

“Yeah,” Himchan murmurs. He leans his head on Yongguk’s shoulder. “I hope so, too.”

——  
——

Yongguk and Himchan meet Jongup and Junhong while perched on a rooftop.

Jongup and Junhong stand in the middle of a horde, their backs pressed against a wall. They each hold a gun out, shooting at any zombie that gets too close. When Jongup runs out of ammo, he shoves the gun into his pocket and pulls out a knife. Junhong doesn’t hesitate to follow suit. The desperate look in their eyes is enough to set Himchan on edge.

“What’s going on down there?” Yongguk asks. He follows Himchan’s line of sight. “A horde? Attacking someone?”

“Yeah. Two idiot kids started shooting immediately. They attracted all the zombies in the area.” Himchan sighs. “Wasted all their ammo, too.”

Yongguk places his chin in his hand, his elbow resting on the railing of the roof. “Hmm. We should help them.”

Himchan hums. “I kinda wanna see how long they can last.”

“We can use those firecrackers we found,” Yongguk says. “If we throw it far away enough, we can lure the zombies away.”

Himchan turns to look at Yongguk with a wide smile. “Genius.”

Yongguk pulls a string of firecrackers from his backpack, mirroring Himchan’s smile. “Got a lighter?”

Himchan digs into his pockets and searches his own backpack. He and Yongguk hear one of the kids screaming. Jongup slashes blindly at the zombies, but Junhong’s longer limbs have a better reach.

“I’m surprised they’ve survived like that for this long,” Himchan says as he hands a matchbook to Yongguk.

Yongguk shrugs as he lights the first firecracker on the string. “They gotta be in a group or something.”

“You think they got separated from a bigger group?” Himchan asks. 

“They have to be depending on a bigger group,” Yongguk replies as he leans back to throw the firecrackers.

They sail in an arch across the street, and explode shortly after they hit the ground. The sound echoes throughout the buildings, bouncing in between the crumbling walls and shattered windows. A thick plume of smoke rises from the wasted firecrackers. The zombies crowding around Jongup and Junhong slowly turn their heads and shuffle away, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. Junhong is frozen on the street. Jongup looks left and right. 

Himchan gives Yongguk a high-five. “Nice idea.”

Yongguk turns to Himchan with a wide grin. “Good thing we found those, right?”

Himchan smiles in response.

Jongup eventually looks up, his eyes meeting with Yongguk’s. He nudges Junhong, who also looks up. Himchan raises his arm and waves. Junhong gives a small wave back before he bolts into a nearby alleyway with Jongup.

——  
——

They don’t keep track of how long they stay in Wonju. When the seasons begin to change and sunny, humid days become orange and chilly, Yongguk and Himchan begin scavenging more to prepare for winter. Once snow begins falling, they’ll be trapped in the apartment. Sure, the zombies are the least active when they’re frozen, but Yongguk and Himchan are the least effective when they don’t have the proper clothes. It’d be bad if they lost all their fingers and toes to frostbite.

“Man, this whole apocalypse thing is getting pretty boring, don’t you think?” Himchan asks as he folds his arms above his chest. A brisk wind blows against them, brushing against their exposed skin. 

Yongguk shrugs as he shoves his hands into his pants pockets. “Can’t say that I disagree.”

“It’s like the world ends, panic sets in, and then things settle down. The survivors adapt and continue living. And that's when it gets boring,” Himchan continues. “It’s just so…mundane now. I’m beginning to wonder if my desk job was as boring as this.”

“Nothing is as boring as a desk job,” Yongguk says. “We’re fighting for our lives out here, you know.”

Now Himchan shrugs. “True. The walking and scavenging part is definitely the worst, though.”

“Can’t say that I disagree,” Yongguk repeats. He kicks a crumpled soda can down the road. It makes sharp clinks as it bounces against the concrete.

“Let’s try that supermarket over there,” Himchan suggests, pointing at the abandoned building. 

The windows are broken and shopping carts stand scattered in the parking lot like lost metal sheep. They climb over one of the windows, helping balance each other. In the dim light, it’s easy to see that most of the supermarket has been picked through already.

“Not much left,” Himchan comments. He wanders down an aisle and picks up a stray can of what seems to be corn. He stuffs it into his backpack.

“Um, Himchan,” Yongguk whispers.

Himchan looks up, following Yongguk’s line of sight, and freezes when he sees a group of zombies approaching them. He gulps as he quickly shoulders his backpack. “Well, shit.”

“Maybe they haven’t seen us yet,” Yongguk whispers. He pushes Himchan back to the other end of the aisle.

When they reach the end of Aisle 17, a horde of zombies comes out of Aisle 14 like a group of Italian fucking mobsters on the hunt. 

“Holy shit,” Himchan mutters, skidding to a halt with Yongguk beside him.

Yongguk grabs Himchan’s hand and pulls him into Aisle 16. They come crashing to the ground seconds later. Yongguk groans and turns to look at Himchan on the ground beside him.

They turn and find someone scrambling to climb the shelves. He looks at Yongguk and Himchan, but the mask on his face covers half of it. He might have shouted something, but they can’t hear him properly. He points up and continues climbing.

Yongguk looks at Himchan. They shrug and follow the stranger. They climb the shelves, trying to keep balanced as it sways. They eventually reach the top of the shelf, their heads just barely brushing against the broken ceiling lights.

“Be careful,” the stranger says. He pulls his mask down and it bunches around his chin. 

“Thanks,” Himchan says.

Yongguk nods in agreement.

The stranger smiles a little. “No problem.”

Yongguk looks at the store and pales when he realizes that he and Himchan never would have made it outside. The floor swarms with zombies. Why didn’t they notice it before?

“Oh my god,” Himchan says, gripping Yongguk’s arm. He’s seeing the same thing.

“Aright, I got an idea,” the stranger says. Yongguk and Himchan look at him, half-curious and half-desperate. “One time, I saw these two guys throw this whole thing of fireworks on the street as a distraction to help some other guys. I think that might work here.”

The stranger pulls something out of his backpack. It’s a small firecracker and a lighter.

Yongguk and Himchan don’t have the time to tell him that they were those two guys before he throws the lit firecracker to the other side of the store. They grip the edges of the shelf as it sways back and forth. The firecracker blows up, echoing in the open space and sending bright colors to the ceiling.

The zombies collectively groan and begin to shuffle to the other side of the store.

“Let’s wait a couple minutes for them to move,” the stranger says. He glances behind him, observing each zombie’s movements. 

“Well, while we’re here,” Himchan says. “What’s your name? I’m Himchan.”

The stranger gives Himchan a side glance. “Youngjae.”

“This here is Yongguk,” Himchan says and Yongguk nods in greeting.

“Seems we all made the same stupid mistake,” Youngjae says, but he’s almost smiling. He pulls his mask above his face. “Let’s go.”

Youngjae jumps down from the shelf and looks up at Yongguk and Himchan before taking off running.

Himchan gapes. “That was badass.”

“Can’t say that I disagree,” Yongguk replies as he gets ready to jump down.

They jump down and follow Youngjae towards the window on the side of the building. They skirt past more zombies, but they’re already halfway across the store when Youngjae jumps out an open window. When they emerge out of the store, they see Youngjae sitting on the parking lot asphalt.

“Are you alright?” Himchan asks. His heart is still beating fast and the adrenaline is still pumping in his system, but he still notices the way Youngjae grips his ankle and how his face twists in pain.

“I’m fine,” Youngjae replies.

“You don’t look fine,” Yongguk says. “What’s up with your ankle?”

Youngjae is silent, his face focused beneath the pain, and eventually replies with a quiet, “I must have landed on my feet wrong while jumping down from the shelf.”

Himchan holds his hand out for Youngjae to take. “Come with us. We can’t stay here. No doubt the firecracker attracted more zombies.”

Youngjae bites his bottom lip, but he takes Himchan’s hand and grunts as he stands up. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank us yet, kid,” Yongguk says, ducking under Youngjae’s arm to support him. “We got supplies back at our apartment.”

“Apartment?” Youngjae asks. “How did you guys find an apartment in here?”

“What, like it’s hard?” Himchan scoffs. “Why?”

Youngjae shrugs. “Guess I wasn’t looking hard enough.”

The walk back to the apartment is a slow process. Yongguk and Himchan try to be careful while supporting Youngjae, but his shorter height makes it awkward for all of them. The walk is silent except for Youngjae’s occasional apology under his breath.

“You don’t have to keep apologizing,” Yongguk says.

“Sorry,” Youngjae whispers, then stutters out, “Sor–– Never mind.”

Himchan follows with a light laugh.

When they eventually reach the apartment, the sky is golden and red as the sun begins to set. Youngjae sits on the floor by the window, staring out at the setting sun while Himchan looks in the kitchen cabinets for the first aid kit.

“Bbang, can you find the extra mattress?” Himchan says.

“Sure,” Yongguk replies and opens the cabinets on the wall opposite from the kitchen.

That night, Youngjae sleeps on the extra futon mattress, his ankle wrapped tightly in bandages.

Yongguk sits on the loft with a half-full bottle of whiskey in his hands. He stares at the moon as it rises and the blanket of twinkling stars surrounding it. He hands the bottle to Himchan, who takes a quick swig.

“Romantic, don’t you think?” Himchan asks as he hands the bottle back.

Yongguk hums in agreement. He can feel the alcohol sting his throat, but he can also feel the warmth in his core. Himchan leans into his side like a cat curling up. The weight is comfortable. It reminds Yongguk that he isn’t entirely alone. 

“What should we do about Youngjae?” Himchan asks.

Yongguk shrugs. “I don’t mind if he stays here while he heals. We’ll have to look for more supplies, though.”

“Yeah, I was thinking about that, too. I think I’d be more worried if he stayed out there, you know? Especially with the weather getting colder.” Himchan looks down at Youngjae, who has his arm splayed across his eyes.

Yongguk hums again. He takes another swig of whiskey. 

Neither of them realize that Youngjae is still awake. That he holds back tears when he hears their hushed whispers. That his breath hitches quietly because nobody has ever been this kind to him since the world ended.

——  
——

Youngjae manages to wriggle his way into Yongguk and Himchan’s lives. They realize they warmed up to him much quicker than they thought they would. In the first few weeks, he’s mostly just company, talking and occasionally apologizing to whoever is around. After his ankle heals, though, he comes and goes, occasionally staying for a night or two, then leaving the next morning. He’s like a stray cat.

The futon Youngjae used stays on the floor by the window for the days he does come back. A small pile of Youngjae’s things collects in the corner where the futon sits.

It’s six in the morning when Yongguk pulls the door open, blinking tired eyes and loosely gripping a knife in his right hand. It takes him a moment to focus his eyesight and realize it’s Youngjae standing in front of him. Youngjae has to pull his mask down for Yongguk to recognize him.

“Yo,” Youngjae greets with a wave, squeezing past Yongguk into the apartment.

“Good morning to you too,” Yongguk says, closing the door. He follows Youngjae into the living room to find him sitting on the mattress with his bulging backpack in between his legs.

“Why do you always come back at ungodly hours?” Himchan asks from the loft. “The sun is barely up.”

“Sorry,” Youngjae says, but the grin he gives Himchan doesn’t look too apologetic. He opens his backpack. “So I was going through some old houses in the suburbs, which are goldmines, in case you were wondering, and I stumbled into a house where someone was preparing for the end of the world, but obviously didn’t survive.”

“What are you getting at?” Himchan asks, walking down the steps. 

Youngjae grins up at Yongguk and Himchan like a proud child. “Isn’t it obvious? I hit the ultimate motherlode.” He flips his backpack over and cans spill out. “Figured I’d share my profit since I kinda owe you guys.”

Yongguk and Himchan stare at the pile in awe. They can’t remember the last time they’ve seen this much food in one place.

“Holy shit,” Himchan says. He crouches and picks up a can of preserved peaches. “Holy shit.”

“You carried this all the way from the suburbs?” Yongguk asks.

Youngjae smiles in response; if he were a dog, his tail would be wagging so hard. He crosses his legs and leans back onto the mattress. “I also kinda need a place to stay for the winter.”

Himchan looks at Yongguk, who raises an eyebrow.

“We need to consult,” Himchan says, slinging his arm around Yongguk’s shoulders and lowering his voice to a near whisper as he turns around. “Pretend we’re talking seriously.”

Yongguk stifles a laugh. “Stop, you’re making him worried.”

“I can’t believe he’s asking like we were going to turn him down,” Himchan says, almost offended. “Like, he’s basically our kid now, you know?”

Yongguk can’t help the laugh that comes out of his mouth. He turns around to see Youngjae on the mattress with a confused expression on his face, which slowly turns to realization, then sadness. 

Yongguk and Himchan’s hearts break a little. He nudges Himchan’s side.

“We’re just messing with you. You’re welcome to stay here,” Himchan quickly says and Youngjae smiles in relief. 

“Okay, good, because I was about to take all the cans with me and leave,” Youngjae replies.

Himchan grips the can of preserved peaches and holds it to his chest, his mouth hanging open. “Not the peaches!”

——  
——

“I think we all need some sun!” Himchan announces during the tail end of winter.

“You talk like we can’t get it from the massive window right in front of you,” Youngjae says, looking up from his book. 

“It’s not the same!” Himchan snatches the book from Youngjae and grabs onto Yongguk’s hand. “Come on, I’m pretty sure it’s gotten warmer outside! Just look at the trees down there beginning to sprout leaves again!”

“Hey!” Youngjae exclaims, trying to get his book back, but Himchan holds it just out of reach.

“Why are you getting so excited about going outside?” Yongguk asks, but he lets Himchan tug him around.

“How long have we been in here?” Himchan asks. 

Yongguk shrugs.

“A while,” Youngjae replies. “Can I have my book back?”

“Not until we return,” Himchan replies. “Don’t you guys hate just being cooped up in the apartment?”

Youngjae sighs. “I guess a walk won’t hurt.”

“There you go!” Himchan exclaims, tossing the book on the futon and taking Youngjae’s hand. He tugs both Yongguk and Youngjae to the door.

Five minutes later, Himchan stands in between Yongguk and Youngjae with his arms interlocked with theirs. The weather outside is the type where it’s fine under the sun, but freezing in the shadows. 

“This is nice, isn’t it?” Himchan asks, glancing at Yongguk then Youngjae.

“Can we stand in the sun or something?” Youngjae asks in response. 

“Is that a hint of sass I catch in your tone?” Himchan asks, nudging his elbow gently into Youngjae’s side. 

Youngjae instinctively moves away, but his arm is still caught in Himchan’s. “Stop talking like you’re my mom!”

Yongguk laughs as he’s pulled along down the street. “You can’t try to stop him, Youngjae. That’s just how he is.”

Youngjae is quiet, but his pout is enough to make Himchan laugh. 

“Come on, cheer up! We’re in the fresh air––“

“It smells like death and rotting corpses,” Youngjae interrupts.

Himchan leans toward Yongguk and whispers, “Are you hearing the attitude in his voice? Where did we go wrong?”

“I’m right here!” Youngjae protests. “And I’m not your son!”

When Youngjae tries to pull his arm away, Himchan just holds on tighter. He glances at Youngjae and finds a small smile on his lips.

“You’re smiling,” Himchan says, nudging Youngjae’s side.

Youngjae scoffs. “Um, no.”

“Stop teasing our son, Himchan,” Yongguk says.

Youngjae turns to Yongguk, disbelief in his face. “Not you, too!”

Yongguk suddenly stops, tugging on Himchan’s arm, and looks to the left. “Did you guys see that?”

Himchan immediately lets go of Yongguk and Youngjae’s arms. His hand goes to the knife in his pocket. “What was it?”

Youngjae tenses, following Yongguk’s line of sight.

“Too fast to be a zombie,” Yongguk replies, his voice going quiet. He moves himself in front of Himchan and Youngjae in a protective stance. “Be careful.”

The street goes eerily quiet as they wait for what Yongguk saw to reveal itself. It’s dark in the building in front of them and nothing seems to be moving in there anymore. Yongguk begins to wonder if he imagined it.

“Looks like you guys caught me…,” a voice calls out from the building.

Himchan blinks and Yongguk turns around. They lock eyes and they already know what’s on the other’s mind. 

But it’s Youngjae who says it out loud. “Daehyun?”

Yongguk and Himchan look back at Youngjae. How do they know each other?

“Youngjae, that you?” the voice calls from the building.

“No, idiot,” Youngjae replies sarcastically. He walks in front of Yongguk and Himchan. His fists are clenched at his sides. They can’t see his face, but his voice trembles when he speaks again. “Where the fuck have you been?!”

Daehyun walks out of the building with a sheepish smile on his face. “Hey, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“He’s gotten thinner since we last saw him,” Himchan whispers to Yongguk. He puts the knife back into his pocket.

Yongguk nods.

“You know what, I thought you fucking died, you fucking bastard!” Youngjae says, taking a step to Daehyun with each word. 

When Youngjae steps close enough to Daehyun, he pulls Youngjae into a hug and buries his head into Youngjae’s shoulder. Youngjae stops talking. His shoulders slump and he eventually wraps his arms around Daehyun’s waist. He says something that Yongguk and Himchan can’t hear properly.

“What do you think happened between them?” Himchan whispers.

Yongguk shrugs. They don’t know how long they wait, but they know better than to interrupt. They already feel like they’re intruding just by watching.

“God, I thought you died,” Youngjae whispers between sobs. “Don’t do that again, okay?”

Daehyun nods. “I’m so tired, Jae.” He finally looks up and his eyes focus on Yongguk and Himchan. “Hey, wait, I know you guys.”

Himchan waves and Yongguk smiles.

“Long time no see,” Himchan says.

Somehow, Yongguk and Himchan manage to convince Daehyun to come back to the apartment with them. He lays down on the futon with his head in Youngjae’s lap. 

It’s getting dark, and Yongguk and Himchan work in the kitchen to make dinner. Their small hot plate sits on the counter, heating up the smaller pot of beans.

“I’m guessing you had fun on your adventure?” Youngjae asks, running his hand through Daehyun’s. His voice is just loud enough to hear.

Daehyun probably says something in reply, but it’s too soft to be overheard.

“I’d hit you if you didn’t look like a sad puppy,” Youngjae says. 

Himchan glances out into the living room to find Youngjae leaning forward to press his forehead against Daehyun’s.

“They’re being really cute right now,” Himchan whispers to Yongguk.

“Stop spying on them,” Yongguk replies, stirring the beans. “Get some spoons and bowls or something.”

Himchan snorts, but he digs through the cabinets for silverware. “I’m just saying.”

“And I’m just saying that you shouldn’t spy on them so much,” Yongguk says.

“Yeah, okay, you’ve made your point.” Himchan drops the bowls to the counter with a clatter. “I wonder what they’re talking about, though.”

“Oh my god, Himchan, why don’t you just ask them, then?” Yongguk holds the pot up and pours the beans into the bowls. “Hey, guys, dinner’s ready!”

Youngjae leans back, and Daehyun sits up. They walk to the small kitchen and retrieve a bowl each. Daehyun is more hesitant, but eventually grabs one when Yongguk smiles at him. Yongguk notices how close Daehyun and Youngjae are when they walk together. 

They’re inseparable.

That night, Daehyun sleeps in Youngjae’s bed, their limbs tangled in each other beneath the paper thin blanket.

“Somehow, I feel better knowing that they reunited,” Himchan says, laying on his back in the loft. 

“We just found out they knew each other today,” Yongguk replies. He turns on his side, and although he can just barely make out Himchan’s silhouette in the darkness, he can’t help but run his fingers down the side of Himchan’s face.

“You know what I mean,” Himchan says, bringing his hand up to lace his fingers with Yongguk’s. “I mean, it’s gotta be hard being alone when the world’s gone to shit.”

Yongguk knows he’s said this before, but he doesn’t think he’s ever been so grateful to have Himchan in his life.

——  
——

Winter comes to an end and barren branches begin to sprout leaves. Lethargy becomes restlessness. Days grow longer. Sunlight pours in through the window, warming the apartment.

“This is nice,” Youngjae says. He looks over at Daehyun who’s staring out the window and sketching in a notebook. “Better than our old shithole, don’t you think?”

Himchan looks up from his book. “Where did you guys live before?”

“A real piece of shit,” Youngjae replies, but there’s a hint of nostalgia in his smile. 

“It was in Seoul. You know those tiny apartments in between the city and the suburbs?” Daehyun doesn’t look away from his notebook. The pages are dirtied and the edges are frayed, but it’s in good condition.

“Aren’t they single apartments?” Yongguk asks. He’s never lived in one of those before, but he’s heard his fair share of stories from his friends before. 

“Yeah, those ones,” Daehyun replies. His hand flies on the paper.

“It was about a third of this space.” Youngjae points to the opposite wall. “Everything was tiny from the bed to the fucking bathroom.”

Daehyun finally looks up from his sketch to waggle his eyebrows at Youngjae

Youngjae scowls. “Gross.”

Daehyun laughs and continues sketching.

“And it was the two of you?” Himchan asks. He lived in one for a year and half before deciding to get a real apartment closer to his university. “Wasn’t it cramped?”

Daehyun shrugs. “It was okay for us. We’re used to living together, anyway.”

“How do you two know each other?” Himchan asks. He’s been meaning to ask, but he’s never gotten around to it.

Youngjae hums. “That’s a long story. Why don’t you explain it, Daehyun?”

“Yeah, alright, fine.” Daehyun smudges the hard edges of the sketch with his fingertips. “Youngjae’s brother had a band and I was their bass guitarist for a while.”

“And then what happened?” Youngjae asks. 

Yongguk and Himchan don’t miss the smug smirk on Youngjae’s face.

Daehyun hesitates. “Youngjae’s brother caught us making out in the bathroom.”

Himchan can’t help the snort that comes out of his mouth. Yongguk nudges his side, but that doesn’t stop the laugh that follows. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No, that’s…literally it,” Youngjae replies with a small smile of his own. “Simplified, but that’s it.”

Yongguk stands up, stretching his arms above his head. “Well, I think it’s time for us to look for more supplies. We’re running low on food, and I’ve been putting off collecting ammo for a while. At least now we won’t be freezing our asses off.”

“Can we come?” Youngjae asks, looking up with a hopeful glint in his eyes. Even Daehyun glances up from his notebook with that same look. 

Yongguk glances at Himchan, who shrugs. “I don’t see why not. More people means we can carry more stuff.”

Daehyun and Youngjae cheer and jump up, their pent up energy spilling over.

“Remember when we used to be like that?” Himchan asks as he stands up beside Yongguk.

Yongguk raises an eyebrow. “You talk like we’re eighty.”

Himchan hums in response, but he and Yongguk both know that this forced them to grow up faster than they would have liked.

The four of them walk out of the apartment building, backpacks packed with the bare minimum, and motivation brimming. They walk down the hill, talking quietly amongst themselves.

“Youngjae,” Yongguk says once they reach the bottom of the hill. He turns around to face Youngjae, who currently has Daehyun clinging onto his arm.

“What’s up?” Youngjae asks.

“Where’s the house you found that one time?” 

Youngjae looks around the streets, furrowing his eyebrows. His eye flit left and right, and he eventually says, “Um, I think I remember how to get there, but I can’t guarantee anything.”

“It’s alright,” Yongguk replies. He steps aside with a smile. “Take the lead.”

It’s not surprising to Yongguk when he feels something similar to happiness in his mind when he follows Youngjae and Daehyun down the streets. He can’t remember the last time he’s been with this many people because while Himchan is excellent company, Daehyun and Youngjae are like a breath of fresh air.

The sun is high in the sky and casting warm rays down on them when they finally reach a suburban neighborhood. High rise apartment complexes become modest houses and ransacked local stores. Weeds sprout in the cracks of the pavement, stubbornly growing and thriving.

“Okay, I’m pretty sure it was around here,” Youngjae says. He points at a boarded up shopfront. The sign, once a vibrant green, is faded and the letters are barely legible now; it rests against the door, having collapsed some time ago. “I remember passing by that.”

They continue to walk down the street, engulfed in ringing silence. The debris piles up. Decaying body parts litter the side of the street. Zombies that can’t walk lay on the sidewalk, against walls, halfway out of buildings, their arms reaching out towards the four as they rush past. It’s unnerving for all of them.

“I could have sworn it was around here somewhere,” Youngjae says, slowing his pace. He looks left and right, scrutinizing each house before moving on. Doubt begins to show on his face, and he considers turning back around because what if this is the wrong street?

They all look the same to everybody else.

Just when Youngjae is about to turn around, he sees a familiar roof. He begins to jog lightly to the gate with everybody following close behind him. 

“Shit, watch out!” Himchan exclaims.

It’s Yongguk who pulls Youngjae and Daehyun back as a pair of zombies stumble out of the gate. Youngjae freezes, his muscles completely tense as Yongguk pushes him and Daehyun towards Himchan.

“Goddamn,” Daehyun whispers as Himchan’s arms dart out to help Youngjae regain his balance.

Yongguk stands defensively in front of the other three, waiting to see if the zombies will come to them. Himchan stands beside Yongguk, knife in his hand. 

“Do you think we’ll be able to go around them?” Himchan asks.

“Not with a road this narrow,” Yongguk replies, glancing to the right. There’s too much debris blocking the rest of the way. They won’t be able to climb it without making any noise. They’re better off fighting the zombies. 

Daehyun suddenly appears beside Himchan with a giant chunk of concrete in his hand. 

Himchan blinks. “Wha—“

Daehyun smiles as he throws the chunk over the zombies’ heads. It lands on the hood of a car with a loud clang that makes everybody’s ears ring. The zombies groan and turn around. Yongguk and Himchan look at Daehyun who has a proud smile plastered on his face. 

“Showoff,” Youngjae mutters. He walks past the three and through the gate into the house.

“I couldn’t let you hog the spotlight,” Daehyun replies as he trails after Youngjae.

Yongguk glances behind him. He spots a couple more zombies making their way toward them. He nudges Himchan. “Hey, help me close the gate.”

It takes them a couple minutes to get the gate to move because it probably hasn’t been moved in months. It creaks and groans, but they eventually get it to close fully before any zombies manage to get in.

“I’m surprised this house is still untouched,” Youngjae comments as he walks around.

Daehyun pokes his head from the kitchen. “Not that surprising. There aren’t a lot of survivors around here.”

“True, but still. It’s weird, you know? It’s like this whole place is stuck in time,” Youngjae says. He walks down the hall. “Hey, here’s where I found the food. Go get Yongguk and Himchan.”

Daehyun darts out of the kitchen and down the hall just as Yongguk and Himchan walk inside. He waves at them to follow him. When they reach the farthest door in the hallway, they find Youngjae standing in the middle of the room. He looks down at something, frozen in place.

“Jae? What’s up?” Daehyun asks. He walks up to place a hand on Youngjae’s shoulder, but he stumbles back. “Whoa, what the—”

Yongguk and Himchan walk up behind Youngjae and Daehyun. They see two bodies on the ground, one on top of the other. A handgun lays beside them, sitting in the middle of dried blood. The thick scent of death hangs low in the air and engulfs them, condensed and stagnating in that one room.

“They weren’t here last time,” Youngjae whispers. He continues to stare at the bodies, unable to move.

Daehyun grabs onto Youngjae’s shoulders and spins him around. “Come on, you said the room is around here, right?”

Yongguk catches the way Youngjae looks down at the floor, his face drained of all color and emotion. He walks past Yongguk and Himchan, silent and solemn in the darkness. The atmosphere becomes as heavy as the air around them.

Himchan follows after Daehyun. Yongguk lingers in the room for a moment. He stares at the decaying corpses, the gun, and the blood surrounding them. He wonders how they came to this point. 

Yongguk thinks back to his sister. He sees the tears she shed. He sees the blood running down her arm and covering her tattoos. He sees the bite infecting her body, turning her a sick pale. He sees the gun she holds out to him. He hears the tremors in her voice when she speaks.

You gotta do it, Yongguk. You’re the only one I trust.

“Bbang,” Himchan says, his voice already distant.

Yongguk turns around and finds Himchan in the corridor with a worried expression on his face.

“You alright?” Himchan asks.

Yongguk nods. He walks out of the room and closes the door behind him. He hopes they didn’t suffer long before they died.

——

In the middle of spring, Yongguk’s radio crackles as it picks up a signal. It startles everybody and they gather around Yongguk, curious. Yongguk didn’t expect anything to happen when he began fiddling with it, but someone is broadcasting. The static breaks the message apart, but Yongguk turns the knob a couple times and the message becomes clearer.

“…here until the sun sets. I repeat, to any survivors, my name is Moon Jongup and I am with one other survivor named Choi Junhong. We are in the Wonju radio station on the sixteenth floor. We will stay here until the sun sets.”

“Survivors!” Daehyun exclaims, his eyes shining with excitement. “We gotta go find them!”

Yongguk switches off the radio and stands up. “Only Himchan is coming with me.”

Himchan looks up at Yongguk curiously as Daehyun and Youngjae ask, “Wait, what?”

“I need you two to stay here and watch over the apartment,” Yongguk replies as he bounds up the stairs to the loft. He grabs his backpack and throws Himchan’s down, who barely manages to catch it. “Who knows what might happen if we all go?”

Daehyun opens his mouth to protest, but Youngjae puts his hand on Daehyun’s shoulder. Daehyun turns to look at Youngjae, who just shakes his head. Daehyun deflates with a pout, but he leans back against the wall beside Youngjae.

“Thanks for understanding, guys,” Yongguk says with a small smile. He nods to Himchan, who’s already standing up. “Let’s go.”

They pack their backpacks with supplies and head out of the apartment. The sun is just barely halfway across the sky when they make their way down the hill. Yongguk won’t deny the sense of urgency he feels when he walks down the street.

“Moon Jongup and Choi Junhong, huh?” Himchan asks. He looks up at the rising skyscrapers as they get closer to the center of the city. “Where do you think the radio tower is?”

Yongguk looks up, and points a slender finger. “Probably the building with the sign that says ‘radio station’ on it.”

Himchan follows Yongguk’s finger and almost laughs. “That’s too easy.”

“At least we won’t have to run around the city trying to find it,” Yongguk says. He readjusts the straps on his backpack and takes a deep breath.

When Yongguk and Himchan reach the radio station, they don’t expect to find a pair of teenagers there. They quietly walk down the hall to the open doorway with sunlight spilling out of it. When they reach the doorway, they peek inside. Jongup and Junhong sit on the spinning office chairs, absentmindedly turning the chairs. They look bored out of their minds.

“Do you think anybody will come?” Junhong asks. He leans his head back so it hangs behind him. He stops spinning, and his long legs splay out in front of him. His arms hang off the side of the chair.

“We’ve been putting out the thing for a week now. There’s bound to be someone out there,” Jongup replies. 

Yongguk glances at Himchan. They must have been pretty determined to be doing this for a week. 

Junhong sits up in his chair, sliding a bit on the tiled floor. “Yeah, but what if––“

Himchan suddenly grabs onto Yongguk’s arm, and walks into the room with a grin on his face. “Hi there!”

Jongup and Junhong stare at Yongguk and Himchan, shocked into complete silence.

Himchan turns to Yongguk. “Do you think the generation after us wasn’t taught proper manners?”

“Were you ever taught proper manners?” Yongguk asks, gently removing Himchan’s hand from his shoulder. He smiles at Jongup and Junhong, who are still silent. “We heard your broadcast over the radio and thought we could come help you guys out.”

Jongup is the first to collect himself. He stands up from his chair and it rolls away from him. “Are you serious?”

“We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t,” Yongguk replies. 

“Dude, I can’t believe that actually worked,” Junhong says. He stares at Yongguk and Himchan with wide eyes like they’re angels. 

Yongguk points to himself. “I’m Yongguk.” He points a thumb at Himchan. “And this is Himchan.”

Jongup and Junhong glance at each other before introducing themselves.

“I’m Jongup.”

“Junhong.” When Junhong stands up, he’s a full head taller than Yongguk and Himchan, but his grin has something boyish and naive in it.

“So, did you guys need help?” Yongguk asks.

“We…didn’t actually plan that part out yet,” Jongup replies slowly.

“We need a place to stay,” Junhong says almost immediately after. Jongup nudges Junhong’s side. “At least…until we find one ourselves.”

Yongguk looks at Himchan, who shrugs, but his eyes seem to convey approval. “Sure. We’re in an apartment not far from here.”

Jongup and Junhong grab their own backpacks and follow Yongguk and Himchan out of the radio station.

——  
——

Jongup and Junhong prove to be more useful than Yongguk anticipated. He didn’t expect much out of a pair of teenagers, but apparently they were boy scouts and know a fair amount of survival tactics. After a couple weeks, it occurs to both Yongguk and Himchan that Jongup and Junhong aren’t going to look for another place, but they don’t mind. Yongguk finds another futon in a unit down the hall.

Yongguk and Himchan quickly realize that nightmares are a common occurrence for Junhong. 

They’re up late, sleep too faraway for them to reach, when they hear movement below the loft. Yongguk expects it to be Youngjae preparing to leave for some reason, which is already weird because he hasn’t been leaving as often as before ever since Daehyun joined them. Himchan looks down to find Junhong turning over and over on the mattress. His breaths come out ragged and whimpers spill from his mouth.

Yongguk joins Himchan, concern on his mind. “Is he okay?”

Himchan shakes his head. “I don’t think so… I don’t know.” He looks at Yongguk, his face barely visible in the moonlight.

“What should we do?” Yongguk asks.

Himchan looks down at Junhong, asking himself the same thing. Yongguk and Himchan are both the youngest from their families and they always turned to their older siblings for comfort, but now they’re the older ones, and Himchan realizes he doesn’t know what to do. He takes a deep breath and slowly walks down the stairs to Junhong.

“What are you doing?” Yongguk whispers, but he doesn’t follow Himchan down.

Himchan doesn’t reply and continues to walk until he’s right at Junhong’s feet. It hurts him to see Junhong like this. He begins to wonder how long this has been happening to Junhong.

Himchan eventually sits on the floor beside Junhong’s head, contemplating a solution. He tentatively reaches out his hand and pets Junhong’s disheveled hair. He brushes the stray strands aside and tries to smooth the creases in between his brows. 

Jongup wakes up sometime later, turning to face Himchan and Junhong. He places a hand on Junhong’s own, rubbing small circles with his thumb.

“Is he okay?” Himchan whispers to Jongup.

“Mm, eventually,” Jongup murmurs. He leans close to Junhong’s ear, but if he says anything else, his voice is too soft for Himchan to properly pick up.

“Mom!” Junhong gasps. His eyes fly open, and Himchan feels Junhong tense.

“Hey,” Jongup says, moving his hand to Junhong’s shoulder. “We’re here. We’re safe.”

Himchan is amazed at how unfazed Jongup is. He wonders how many times this has happened for Jongup to be so used to this.

Junhong looks at Jongup, then at Himchan. In the pale moonlight, he swears he could see Junhong flush a deep red.

“Junhong,” Himchan starts, his voice nearly inaudible because he doesn’t know how else to comfort Junhong, “it’s okay. You’re alright.”

Junhong is quiet. He doesn’t move. He doesn’t speak. He can barely breathe.

Himchan reaches out and strokes Junhong’s hair again. 

Junhong begins to relax. He turns on his side, facing Jongup, and closes his eyes with Himchan’s hand carding through his hair. Jongup drapes an arm around Junhong’s slimmer waist, pulling him close as he buries his head into the crook of Jongup’s shoulder. 

Himchan isn’t sure how long he stays there with his fingers combing through Junhong’s hair, but Yongguk eventually brings a blanket and drapes it over Himchan’s shoulders. He sits beside Himchan, leaning his head against Himchan’s shoulder. He stays like that with Yongguk leaning into his side, even after Jongup and Junhong have fallen back asleep, until the sun rises and illuminates the apartment.

——  
——

Yongguk tries to avoid joining groups when he can. He’s had Himchan, and that worked out fine for them before. 

When the other four joined, Yongguk was careful around them, keeping a distance between himself and them because he’s seen groups crumble under pressure; he knows that they can’t possibly all last. He knows it’s only a matter of time.

And yet…they all fit together like puzzle pieces falling into place. Despite the small space of their apartment struggles to fit all of them, it only grows cozier. Maybe it starts to resemble a home. Maybe they start to become a family in this fucked up excuse of an apocalypse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Self-indulgent domestic fluff? In my zombie au? It's more likely than you think.


	2. that distant shore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang finds a new home.

“What’s that over there?” Junhong asks, pointing outside the massive apartment window, a little further outside the outskirts of the city. If he squints, he thinks he can see… He isn’t sure, but it looks ominous. “Past all the buildings.”

“That’s beyond our borders. You must never go there, Junhong,” Himchan says from up in the loft, not even bothering to look up from his book.

Junhong sighs and digs through his pile of things––inevitably mixed in with everyone else’s––for his binoculars. He turns back to the window, focusing on the mass. His stomach lurches. He’s been alive for nearly eighteen years, give or take a few months probably, and he’s never seen something look _this_ bad, and he’s somehow survived in a zombie apocalypse for _several_ years.

“Guys… You might wanna look at this.”

“What is it?” Jongup asks, coming up from the futons on the floor beside Junhong. Daehyun follows shortly after, standing at Junhong’s other side.

“What are you even looking at?” Daehyun asks.

Junhong hands the binoculars to Jongup and points out the window, looking at Daehyun. “Hyung, what does that look like to you?”

Daehyun squints his eyes, leaning as close to the window as he can, nearly pressing his face against the glass. He blinks, looking back at Junhong with confusion.

“Use this,” Jongup says, his face gone pale. He turns to Junhong, and they share a look of mutual horror, before Jongup turns to the loft. “Hyung.”

“What?” both Yongguk and Himchan say, and their faces appear at the railing at the same time.

“What the _fuck?!”_ Daehyun exclaims, jumping back. He drops the binoculars from his hands, but Junhong scrambles to catch it.

“What is it?” Yongguk asks as he and Himchan rush down the stairs.

Youngjae joins them, blinking concerned eyes at Daehyun. Junhong hands the binoculars to Himchan.

“Oh,” Himchan says. He purses his lips and passes the binoculars to Yongguk. He turns to the rest of the group. “We should start packing up soon.”

Yongguk hums in agreement as he gives the binoculars back to Junhong. “They’re close. Dammit, we should’ve been paying more attention to them.”

Himchan is already rummaging through the kitchen to take stock of what supplies they have left. “Too late for that now, Bbang.”

“We should try to leave by tonight,” Yongguk says, heading up into the loft to fetch something.

“Wait, why are we leaving? What is it?” Youngjae asks. He takes the binoculars from Junhong and looks through it himself. “ _Jesus_ , how big is that horde?”

Himchan begins stacking cans on the counter. “Hordes tend to invade cities after a while. We don’t know how or why they band together like that, but I’m thinking it’s some sort of pack instinct their decayed fucking brains fall back on. Still don’t know why they come into cities for sure, though. Probably for food. We should leave before we’re overrun.”

“I’m going downstairs to look for a car. There should be something down in the parking garage. Youngjae, Daehyun, come with me,” Yongguk says as he comes down from the loft with a a knife strapped to his thigh. He heads to the door to pull the barricade down, and Daehyun and Youngjae come up behind him with their own weapons.

Junhong looks at Jongup, both nodding before joining Yongguk at the door. “We can come too.”

“If you need the help,” Jongup quickly adds.

Yongguk shakes his head with a gentle smile. He reaches up to pat both Junhong and Jongup’s heads. “It’s alright. You two stay up here and help Himchan. We’ll be back soon.”

“You better,” Himchan says.

Junhong blinks, finally realizing. “Oh. Okay.”

“Good luck,” Jongup says, placing a hand on Junhong’s shoulder.

It’s because they’re young, Junhong knows that, but he just thought that they’d be treated as equals given their circumstances. He’s just a little disappointed that they’re still being treated like children even now.

When Yongguk, Daehyun, and Youngjae have left, Junhong begins stuffing his backpack with his things.Jongup joins him with his own backpack. They didn’t come here with many things, but Junhong realizes that they’d collected a lot of things in the year since they joined. He rummages through the pile they have on the floor by the futons, trying to pick through it for what he thinks are his things.

––––

Yongguk and Himchan waited too long to leave Seoul. The horde had already invaded downtown within the week.

“So, are we just gonna die here, then?” Himchan asked, looking out the window. The streets swarmed with zombies, and his stomach churned at the muffled groans floating up from behind the glass window. “There’s no way we’d be able to walk through that and get out alive.”

Yongguk came up behind Himchan, pursing his lips. “It’d suck to die here.”

“Agreed, but fucking _look_ at that,” Himchan said, signaling to the mass of undead below. “It’s _disgusting_. What can we do about that?”

Yongguk shrugged. “Maybe we can escape by hopping on the roofs.”

“How well is that gonna go for us?” Himchan asked. “I mean, we can try, but _realistically_ , how far are we gonna get by hopping on the roofs?”

Yongguk shrugged and grinned. “It wouldn’t hurt to try.” He grabbed a duffel bag from his bedroom. “We should start packing.”

“So… That’s it, then? We’re just _leaving?”_ Himchan asked, his voice quiet. He looked out at their apartment, the place they called _home_. How could Yongguk get rid of this place to easily? “Bbang?”

Himchan looked up at Yongguk to see him standing in the doorway to their bedroom with his duffel bag hanging limply at his side. His eyes were glassy and unfocused. He looked…lost. He looked like a child suddenly realizing he’d been left alone.

“Bbang?” Himchan whispered, moving from his spot by the window.

“We have no other choice,” Yongguk replied. He met Himchan’s eyes, and Himchan immediately swept him up into his arms. His voice trembled against Himchan’s skin. “We need to leave to survive, so why does it hurt?”

––––

“You mean we’re just gonna leave our–– the apartment?” Youngjae asks. He follows Yongguk down to the underground parking garage. He’ll admit he’s grown a little accustomed to the apartment they settled in and call home.

“We don’t really have another choice. When the horde comes in, the city will be completely overrun. It’d be impossible to go anywhere without coming across a group of zombies,” Yongguk replies. He clicks his flashlight on as they enter the parking garage. The light from outside filters in through the openings near the ceiling, but it’s not enough light for him to be comfortable. “Now let’s try to find a van or something.”

“Well, the idea of a roadtrip sounds nice,” Daehyun says, and Youngjae appreciates the attempt at reassurance, but he’s still anxious.

They wander the rows, but many of the cars have fallen into disrepair. Plants grow in through the openings with vines crawling down the walls like tentacles. Some plants have cracked through the concrete, growing over the ground and climbing up cars. The sound of something small skittering across the ground echoes throughout the garage. Yongguk moves the light across the cars, and shadows bounce every time they move.

“You know what, I hate this place,” Daehyun whispers as they walk further in.

“We’re just looking for a car, calm down,” Youngjae replies, but he can’t keep the smile off his face as Daehyun moves a little closer to him.

“What if we can’t find one?” Daehyun asks.

“We’ll have to go back up and tell the others,” Yongguk says. “There’s still a little time before the horde reaches the city.” He pauses to sweep the flashlight over a row of midsize sedans, hatchbacks, but–– “No vans.”

Youngjae climbs above the nearest car, then looks down at Yongguk. “Hyung, can you pass me your flashlight, please?” Yongguk nods and gives it to him. He scans the entire area, but the flashlight isn’t strong enough to reach the corners furthest from him. He thinks he spots a a few cars not completely covered in vegetation, and squints to look. “Would we all fit in an SUV?”

“Depends on whether or not there’s a third row seat. Did you find something?” Yongguk replies.

Youngjae nods. “Row G. The gray SUV. We should check it out.”

They walk to Row G, careful not to trip on any overgrown plants. Daehyun follows closely behind Yongguk and Youngjae, The garage somehow grows even quieter than before the further they go, like the air itself is holding its breath, and Youngjae can’t hold back the shiver that runs down his back. He finds comfort in Daehyun’s hand holding onto the hem of his shirt. Yongguk pulls the knife from his pocket. The sound of it clicking open is almost deafening in the heavy silence.

They round a pillar, and something jumps out.

“Holy fuck!” Daehyun shouts as Youngjae lets out a jumbled mess of a yell.

A rat scampers across the ground, tiny feet pattering against dead leaves and concrete, until it disappears into an open car.

“It’s just a rat,” Yongguk says, quiet but still shaken. He lets out a trembling breath as he rubs the bridge of his nose. “Just a rat.”

“What the _fuck_ ,” Youngjae whispers. He untangles his hands from Daehyun’s shirt, and Daehyun does the same with Youngjae’s.

“The…” Daehyun points ahead of them and clears his throat before continuing. “Is that the SUV?”

Youngjae nods. As they get closer, they see the SUV is completely trashed. Every window is broken. A couple of the seats are slashed open. Papers and leaves litter the floor and seats. Yongguk opens the driver-side door and gets into the seat. He leans against the steering wheel, careful not to press his head on the horn as he begins fiddling with the wires beneath the dashboard. It looks like someone already tried hotwiring the car already but gave up halfway through. Lucky for him, half the work is already done.

“You know how to do that?” Daehyun asks.

“Himchan taught me how do it properly,” Yongguk replies. His eyebrows furrow in concentration.

Youngjae and Daehyun look at each other. “Himchan-hyung knows how?”

“Yeah. We used to steal cars and sell the parts before the zombies. We met while he was stealing my car. That I also stole,” Yongguk explains, and Youngjae isn’t sure if he’s being sarcastic or not. He’s too scared to ask.

Youngjae doesn’t know what Yongguk and Himchan did before the world ended. Daehyun was in university. Jongup and Junhong were in high school. Yongguk and Himchan are a little harder to pin down. They were out of college by then, that’s for sure, but Youngjae always assumed they had office jobs or something boring like that.

“Are you for real?” Daehyun asks, and when Youngjae glances at him, his eyes are wide.

Yongguk smiles, joking. “No. We both learned from a friend of ours shortly _after_ the zombies happened. I wonder what happened to him.” He pauses, his hands still fiddling with the wires, but then he purses his lips and sits back. “No luck.”

“Damn. This one would’ve been perfect, too,” Youngjae mutters as he looks into the back seats.

––––

The next day, they walk out of the apartment building for the last time.

“Isn’t this nice?” Himchan asks, stretching his arms above his head. He readjusts the backpack straps on his shoulders and begins walking down the hill. “Fresh air––“

“Oh my god, look at that zombie tangled in the wires,” Youngjae says. The look on his face is somehow somewhere between fascinated, disgusted, and amused. He nudges Daehyun. “Oh, _ew,_ look at his _guts_.”

“––good weather––“

“I’m actually a little cold,” Junhong mumbles to Jongup, who just hands him a scarf from his pocket.

“––and the possibility of a new home,” Himchan finishes to deaf ears as the other four continue talking about other things. He frowns when he realizes no one actually listened to him. He walks beside Yongguk at the head of the group. “The children aren’t listening anymore. They’re only going to get more rebellious from here.”

Yongguk pats Himchan’s shoulder. “You tried, babe.” He smiles as Himchan rolls his eyes, and leans a little into Himchan’s side like he’s sharing something only they know. “Remember when we first came here? The sun was setting when we found the apartment, and then you drove a knife into a zombie’s head. I don’t know if I’ve ever loved you more.”

“Gross, why are you getting so mushy all of a sudden?” Himchan pushes Yongguk’s shoulder, who laughs in response, but he returns to Himchan’s side.

“I don’t know…” Yongguk shrugs. He glances at Himchan, and there’s something soft in his gaze that makes Himchan smile. “It’s just… This one felt the closest to a home since…”

“Since Seoul,” Himchan finishes, and he can’t deny that. “You know you’re cute when you get all soft around the edges like that.”

Yongguk clears his throat, and looks back at the other four. “Alright. We’re starting our search for a car. Anything at this point will do. We’ll take two cars if we can’t find anything to fit all of us.”

Himchan glances down at their interlocked hands and smiles.

They wander the streets of Wonju in search of a car, but nothing comes up. The engines are busted. Tires are out with no spares in sight. Jongup finds a car with the keys still in it, but the engine splutters pathetically, the pops echoing down the quiet streets. They quickly leave before any zombies manage to hear.

“I’m beginning to think we’re gonna have to start walking,” Junhong says.

They’re nearing the edge of the city, and the sun is already high up in the sky. They’ve been looking for a solid couple of hours already. They reach an abandoned gas station just on the edge of the city with a handful of cars in the lot.

“Whoa, look at _this_ one,” Daehyun says, pointing at a retro-style van. The blue paint is faded on the hood, almost a purple now, and the tinted windows, upon closer inspection, are actually just caked with dirt and debris. “How old do you guys think this is?”

“I wouldn’t raise my expectations too high for that one,” Yongguk says as he approaches a different car. “It looks _old_. 90s at the earliest.”

Daehyun hums, walking away from it, but Himchan lingers by it. He pulls open the door and gets into the drivers seat. It looks like it’s been virtually untouched since the world ended. If Yongguk thinks it’s too old to work, chances are other people thought the same thing. Even if it’s not much, the least it could do is get them into the next city where the can find a replacement. He begins working on the wires.

“Himchan-hyung?” Junhong asks, peering into the van. “Didn’t Yongguk-hyung say…”

“Yongguk-hyung doesn’t like taking chances sometimes,” Himchan replies. He purses his lips as he moves the wires. The engine roars to life, and he has to hold back a triumphant cheer.

Yongguk is at the car’s side almost immediately, his eyes wide. “How’d you get it to work?”

Himchan shrugs with a smug smile on his face, and waves his fingers at Yongguk. “I got the magic touch.”

“Alright, you made your point,” Yongguk says, still relieved. He turns to the others. “Jongup, Junhong, put your things in the back and get in. Daehyun, Youngjae, help me out with these gas cans.”

Jongup perks up as he’s opening up the back. “Me and Junhong can help.“

Yongguk pauses for a moment, almost hesitant. He eventually nods. “Sure. Come on.”

Yongguk saw the gas cans near the back of the station, mostly hidden beneath a tarp. He thanks whatever higher being is out there watching over them today. They walk back to the van carrying eight full six-gallon cans and pile them in the back of the van.

“Damn, okay. Talk about lucky,” Himchan says. He taps his fingers on the steering wheel. “It’s…almost like someone was storing them up, don’t you think?”

“We can’t think about that right now,” Yongguk says as he gets into the passenger side seat. He clicks on his seatbelt and looks in the back to count everyone. “Okay, is everyone here?”

A chorus of “Yeah” echoes in the back.

“Alright,” Himchan says as he backs out of the parking lot, and before he can stop himself, he’s saying. “Say bye-bye to Wonju, kids.”

Another chorus of “bye-bye” echoes in the back.

Yongguk settles in the seat, rolling down the window with a fond smile on his face. “I haven’t heard _that_ voice in a while.”

“Well, I haven’t had to take care of kids in a while,” Himchan says. He remembers the doll from the last city, and then he remembers the kids from the daycare he used to work at. He wonders if they’re doing okay.

“You do realize we’re all adults?” Youngjae quips in the back. “Daehyun and I were eighteen when the world ended.”

“I was sixteen!” Junhong says, his head popping up from behind Daehyun and Youngjae’s heads. “So was Jongup!”

Himchan glances in the rearview mirror to see varying looks of indignation on their faces. “You mean none of you are actually twelve?”

An annoyed chorus of “ _hyung!”_ echoes from the back, followed by Yongguk laughing.

––––

The van does better than any of them expected. By late afternoon, they’re passing through Daegu. Yongguk lets Himchan drive through the city roads when the highway becomes too congested to drive through because, objectively-speaking, he’s better at maneuvering a car in between other cars through tight roads.

The van makes a weird groaning noise with every turn that Yongguk worries about, but it hasn’t blown up yet. So that’s a plus.

“Where are we even going?” Yongguk eventually asks.

“How about the beach?” Himchan says. He finally gets back onto the highway, where he pushes the old van as fast as it’ll go.

“I know this beach house on Geoje Island. If we can’t get there, there are still a ton of beach houses along the coast. There’s gotta be one we can use,” Daehyun says, poking his head between the driver and passenger seats.

Yongguk maps out the country in his head. That’s just off Busan’s coast. “Oh. I forgot you’re from Busan.” He looks at Himchan. “How about Geoje Island? You did say the beach.”

“Hmm… Yeah, let’s do it. Mind navigating?” Himchan asks.

“Yeah, sure.” Yongguk turns around. “Junhong, Jongup? Can one of you get the map from my backpack?”

“Okay,” Jongup and Junhong say. They do a quick game of rock, paper, scissors before Jongup groans and twists in his seat to grab Yongguk’s backpack.

“Which pocket?” Jongup asks, his voice muffled. He gets on his knees in his seat, leaning over the back until his entire top half is over the seat.

“Should be in the front,” Yongguk replies.

“Bump!” Himchan warns before the van goes over a crack in the ground, broken by an invading tree trunk.

Everybody in the back shouts. Daehyun braces his arm against the door. Youngjae is jolted awake from his short-lived nap, and he blinks wide eyes as he makes sense of his surroundings. Junhong grabs onto Jongup’s waistband to keep him from rolling completely over the seat into the back.

“Warn me a little sooner, hyung,” Jongup whimpers, but Yongguk isn’t sure he heard correctly. There’s a pause before he continues with “Okay, I think I got it.”

Junhong pulls Jongup back up, and he hands the map to Daehyun, who hands it to Yongguk.

“Thanks, Jongup,” Yongguk says.

Jongup gives him a thumbs-up with a slightly sick look on his face.

“Jongup, you good?” Himchan asks as he glances into the rearview mirror.

Jongup mumbles something that no one but Junhong can hear.

“He said he’s going to throw up! Hyung, we should stop!” Junhong exclaims, which Jongup responds to with a dismissive wave of his hands.

“You _are_ looking a little green,” Daehyun says.

“Okay, okay, Jongup, I’m pulling over. Hold yourself together for like ten more seconds, okay?” Himchan says.

Jongup groans. As soon as the car pulls to a stop, he barrels outside, pushing Youngjae to get to the door, and stands above a bush, hands on his knees. He dry heaves a couple times and spits into the grass. Junhong climbs out of the van, careful not to hit Youngjae on the way out.

“Hyung? Are you okay?” Junhong asks, his voice soft as he approaches Jongup’s back.

“I had no idea he got car sick,” Himchan says as they all look out the window at Junhong placing a careful hand on Jongup’s back. “And we’re almost to Busan.”

“But he was fine up until now,” Daehyun says.

“Must have been the bump, then,” Yongguk adds. “He took it pretty hard in the gut.”

Youngjae yawns. “Wait, Busan?”

“Geoje Island. There’s a beach house there,” Daehyun replies. He scrunches his nose as Jongup spits out something full of phlegm. “Gross.”

Himchan looks at Daehyun. “Stop looking at them, then.”

“It’s the weird fascination that makes him watch,” Youngjae says. “He majored in nursing because of it.”

Yongguk turns to Himchan. “Should I be concerned?”

“Hey, I like _helping_ people, too,” Daehyun protests with a frown. “Did it not occur to you that I _like_ helping other people?”

“We get it. You’re a social butterfly. You don’t like being alone or else your crippling existential anxiety will catch up with you,” Youngjae says as he rolls his eyes. “We _get_ it.”

Daehyun’s mouth drops in fake hurt. “I don’t think I appreciate this callout. I’m feeling personally attacked, Yoo Youngjae. You’re a little _meanie_ when you wake up.”

Youngjae is about to retaliate with something scathing, Yongguk can tell from the spark in Youngjae’s eye, but Jongup and Junhong return to the van. Jongup doesn’t look as sick as before, just drained.

“Jongup? How are you feeling?” Himchan asks.

“Okay, I guess. Sorry about that.” Jongup climbs back into the van, slumping in his seat.

“No, we should stop for a break. Wait until you’re okay again,” Himchan says.

Jongup shakes his head. “We’re almost to Busan. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you _sure?”_ Himchan asks. “Really, we can wait until you’re feeling better.”

Jongup waves his hand as he closes his eyes and leans back against the headrest. “We can keep going, hyung.”

“Alright, then.” Himchan sighs and pulls out of the shoulder back onto the road.

––––

“What are we supposed to do? They just…left us,” Junhong said, holding the gun in his hand.

And Jongup understood. He had the sudden and horrifying realization that their group abandoned them because they needed a scapegoat. So, who better to use than the two teenagers who apparently weren’t pulling their own weight? He looked at the gun in his hand, then at Junhong.

“We’re the distraction they need to escape,” Jongup said, and his heart lurched as the realization dawned on Junhong as well. He took Junhong’s hand. “On my signal, run into the alleyway behind me, okay?”

Junhong frowned, squeezing Jongup’s hand. “What are you saying?”

“Junhong, _please_.” Jongup pulled his hand from Junhong. “Don’t make this any harder on me.”

Anger and betrayal flared in Junhong’s eyes, burning hot and intense enough to make it hurt. “You think I’m just going to _leave_ you? I fucking _love_ you, you asshole.”

Jongup blinked, taken aback at the sudden confession. “You–– Is this _really_ the time?”

Junhong took Jongup’s hand again and led them up a fallen wooden awning. “On three, we start shooting, okay?”

Jongup nodded, his hand warm in Junhong’s, and suddenly, he wasn’t ready to die alone yet.

Junhong squeezed Jongup’s hand before letting go. He cocked his gun and aimed at the closest zombie. “They’re lucky we’re so goddamn nice.”

“Maybe we should stop if we get outta this alive,” Jongup said. He aimed his own gun.

“One, two, three.”

Junhong’s first shot rang out, deafening and echoing against the collapsing building walls. The zombie fell to the ground, but a horde quickly flooded out of nearby alleyways and into the main street, attracted by the noise. Is this what their group wanted? Did they want the alleyways clear? Jongup began shooting the zombies, his fear slowly overtaking his anger. The zombies began to crowd around them. They were snarling, their breath hot and rancid against his face.

He didn’t want to die here.

When his gun ran out of ammo, he shoved it into his pocket and pulled out his knife. Junhong glanced at him, unsure, but he did the same. They began slashing blindly at the zombies, but there was no way they’d last much longer.

He _really_ didn’t wanna die here, but he wasn’t about to let Junhong die here with him.

Jongup got ready to charge at the zombies. “I’ll make an opening. Go––“

A string of firecrackers suddenly sailed across the top of Jongup’s vision. Before he knew it, they exploded and his ears were ringing. He stared in awe as the zombies began leaving them in favor of the plume of smoke left behind by the firecrackers. He lowered his knife and let out what felt like his first breath in years.

Jongup looked up in the direction of where the firecrackers came from and found two men perched on a nearby rooftop. He nudged Junhong. “Tell me you see two guys up there too.”

Junhong followed Jongup’s gaze. “Yeah. You’re not imagining that.”

One of the men waved. Junhong waved back, and then Jongup was pulling him into a nearby alleyway.

––––

Jongup wakes with a start. He didn’t even realize he fell asleep. The world is strangely dark, but he feels something warm against the back of his head. It’s…comforting. The sound of faint chatter reaches his ears.

“Hey.”

Jongup turns his head and sees Junhong looking down at him with a small smile. His hand is in Jongup’s hair, carding through the strands. Jongup blinks and sits up. “Where are we?”

“Busan. Himchan-hyung thought it’d be a good idea to stop here,” Junhong replies. “We’ll find a way to Geoje Island in the morning when there’s light.”

Jongup hums. He sits up and stretches his arms out in front of him. “So are we all sleeping in here tonight? Not that I mind, but… It’s a little cramped.”

“Probably. They’re outside right now,” Junhong nods to the window where Jongup sees a faint orange glow.

Jongup looks out and sees the others sitting around a small campfire, talking amongst themselves. Yongguk leans into Himchan’s side with a blanket wrapped around their shoulders. He draws something in the dirt and says something that makes everybody else laugh. Daehyun and Youngjae sit with their backs against the van so Jongup can’t really see them. He hears their voices though.

“You know, hyung.”

Jongup turns to look at Junhong. “Yeah?”

“I was thinking about that day. You know… When we decided to sacrifice ourselves for those assholes?” Junhong asks, and it’s hard to miss the bitterness in his voice.

Even after all this time, he’s still been holding onto that grudge. Who can blame him? Jongup places a hand on Junhong’s knee.

“What were we thinking? Why didn’t we run?” Junhong asks. “We should have died out there.”

“We’re too nice,” Jongup says. He rubs small circles in Junhong’s knee with his thumb. “This is why Yongguk-hyung doesn’t take us to help him outside.”

Junhong snorts. “It’s because they still think we’re kids.”

Jongup hums in agreement, not knowing what else to say.

“But you wanna know what else I was thinking about?” Junhong says. He looks up at the van’s ceiling. “That we really would’ve died without those two guys on the rooftop. They were nice enough to help us escape. I dunno if I believe in fate or any of that, but for us to all be there at that exact point in time, it makes you wonder, you know?”

“Yeah,” Jongup replies. “We got lucky.”

Someone knocks on the window, and Jongup turns to see Daehyun and Youngjae pressing their faces against the glass.

“We got food out here. Eat it while it’s still hot,” Youngjae says, pointing a thumb behind him.

“Or else we’ll eat it for you,” Daehyun adds.

Jongup waves a hand and goes to open the door. As he and Junhong climb out of the van, Himchan hands them each a bowl of beans. Jongup doesn’t believe in fate or any other cosmic being, but he figures _something_ had to be watching over them that day.

––––

“Blocked?!” Himchan exclaims.

Yongguk leans back in his seat and brings the van to a puttering stop, staring at the road sign pointing to the blockade. It’s been overtaken by weeds and other plants, making it impossible to move. _GEOJE ISLAND KEEP LEFT_ , the sign mocks. He stares at the island in the distance, also mocking them. He puts the van in reverse and heads for a nearby marina. He knows they passed by a couple on their way here.

“Guess we have to find a boat now,” Yongguk says.

“If any of them are still functional,” Youngjae says, leaning forward in the space between Yongguk and Himchan’s seats.

“Hey, if we could get _this_ thing to work, we can find a boat,” Himchan shoots back. He pats the dashboard, and Yongguk swears he hears the van groan back.

“Don’t agitate him, he’s fragile,” Yongguk says. He turns right towards the marina and slows the van. There are several boats in the harbor with barnacles and algae growing up the sides. They sway and rock with the tide, and it almost looks normal. “Well, take your pick.”

“If we keep it, can we take it out fishing?” Junhong asks.

Himchan glances at Yongguk, who shrugs. “I don’t see why we _wouldn’t_ be keeping it. So why not?”

Junhong pumps his fist. “ _Yes_ , I can finally put that badge to good use.”

“That’s such an ‘old man’ thing to do,” Youngjae says as he rolls his eyes.

Junhong shoots Youngjae a glare. “While you were busy playing your video games, I studied the rod.”

“Yeah? Which _rod?”_ Youngjae asks, and makes a masturbating motion. Daehyun and Jongup snicker in response. Junhong blushes a deep red and pouts in silence.

“Okay, since none of you are picking a boat––” Yongguk stops the car by a modest boat with a faded paint job and the least amount of apparent barnacles growing up the side. “Get out. We’re using this one.”

Yongguk and Himchan stand back as Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup, and Junhong clamber out of the van and onto the boat. Junhong and Youngjae are particularly quick to reenact the scene from Titanic at the bow. Daehyun and Jongup disappear behind the other side to check out the rest of the boat.

“They get that from you.” Yongguk points to Youngjae and Junhong as he and Himchan approach the boat.

Himchan is about to protest, but Youngjae begins singing a bad rendition of the theme song with Junhong as backing vocals. “Okay, I can’t argue with that.” He waves at them to get down, but Yongguk can’t help but smile in amusement. “Hey, hey, not too loud.”

Youngjae immediately switches to a yelling whisper which makes Yongguk’s own throat hurt. He and Himchan board the boat, and they notice the rust forming on every metal surface. Himchan leans towards Yongguk.

“I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know if _any_ of these boats will hold up even if we’re just going to Geoje Island,” Himchan whispers.

“It’s a ten-minute trip, fifteen at the _most_. If the boat falls apart before then, we’ll have life jackets. We can swim,” Yongguk says. He wants this to work. That beach house on the island sounds like their best shot at maybe getting somewhat close to _peaceful_.

“Hyung, the battery’s gone,” Daehyun says as he and Jongup round the cabin back to the bow.

But _goddamn_ , his patience is being tested right now.

“We should check the other boats for a battery. If not, then…” Yongguk draws a blank. They can’t _row_ a boat there, and there isn’t enough wind to even get the sails to move. “…shit.”

“I think I saw a sporting goods warehouse at one of the malls we passed by,” Junhong says. “I can’t remember the name of it.”

“Yeah, there’s gotta be a battery there if we can’t find one here.” Youngjae is already hopping off the boat and heading towards another one.

Twenty minutes later, they’re all piled back into the car and driving towards the mall. Yongguk endures another twenty minutes of dick jokes and retorts on the way to the mall (“Be strong,” Himchan says, placing a hand on Yongguk’s resting on the gearshift). When the mall’s sign comes into view above the trees, extremely tilted and showing signs of old rust in large patches, Yongguk wants to sigh in relief, but he’s not alone at the moment so he keeps it to himself.

“There it is! Haeundae Mall,” Junhong says, pointing through the space between Daehyun and Youngjae’s heads. “Maybe we’ll be able to stock up on more supplies, too.”

––––

Daehyun ran track and field in high school. He would play soccer with his friends during summer break instead of study for entrance exams. So why were his lungs filling with battery acid with every step he took? He felt like every step was weighed down with lead, and he had to fight just to get away. He looked back to find the horde had grown. The stench was growing unbearable in the tight space. Their groans were echoing against the walls, loud but not louder than Daehyun’s own panting breaths.

He’d been quiet. He was silent as the grave, but somehow they found him. Like a pack of bloodhounds tracking their prey, they’d sniffed him out.

If he couldn’t get out, he needed to find somewhere to hide. He emerged from the alleyway onto a main street. He scanned his surroundings, trying to find _anywhere_ to hide. The horde was getting closer. He spotted a dumpster pushed to the side of the street. He hopped in and quietly pulled the lid closed.

And Daehyun sat, his breaths coming out in short pants as he struggled to stay quiet. His heart pounded in his chest and rushed in his ears. He could barely see inside the dumpster, lit only by the single slit between the lids. He heard the horde come closer, the groans and shuffling growing louder, but they didn’t touch the dumpster, eventually passing until it faded into the quiet.

Daehyun leaned against the dumpster’s wall, ignoring the disgusting rotting smell. Ever since the zombies came, it was everywhere. He thought he’d get used to it. Instead, he was alone with this disgusting stench and his own thoughts.

Where was Youngjae now? Was he okay? Was he still alive?

Daehyun closed his eyes and tried to imagine Youngjae, but he only saw the anger in Youngjae’s eyes. The scowl pulling at his lips and baring his teeth.

_“Fine! Leave! See if I care! Fucking idiot!”_

Daehyun pulled his legs up and rested his forehead on his knees, his arms coming up to encircle himself. His fingers rubbed the charm dangling from the bracelet on his wrist. He felt tears begin to prick his eyes. If he didn’t think too much about it, he almost thought Youngjae was here with him again, the scowl melting off his face and smothering Daehyun in a hug.

_“God, I hope you know what you’re doing.”_

Daehyun didn’t then, and he still didn’t now. He didn’t know how he’d gone so long without Youngjae. How could he leave him so easily? What was he thinking?

_“Come back to me alive, motherfucker.”_

Daehyun took a deep breath, nearly choking on the rancid air that flooded his senses, and peeked outside the dumpster.

––––

Youngjae wore his heart on his sleeve, as many people used to tell him. His past relationships were a struggle because not many people could keep up with him. He got too emotional too easily, he was too vulnerable. Daehyun was one of the first people to fully accept Youngjae for who he was.

Youngjae regretted letting Daehyun leave, but he regretted how he sent him off even more. He ended up leaving the small town where his group had settled. In-group fighting had begun to pull them apart, and he didn’t want to be there when the factions started a civil war. He left quietly in the middle of the night on a stolen car. He’d heard that the recon group lost Daehyun in Wonju. For now, he’d start in Wonju. For now, he still had hope that Daehyun was alive.

Youngjae liked walking through Wonju in the early morning. He left Yongguk and Himchan’s apartment just as dawn broke, but this wasn’t the first time he left. They knew he’d be back in a few days’ time. Right now, he was focused on looking for Daehyun.

Something glinted in the corner of Youngjae’s eyes. A corpse laid on the ground at the entrance to an alleyway, its head gone, but its arm outstretched like it was holding onto something. He walked towards the corpse, curious. He brought his face mask above his nose and mouth as the stench of rotting flesh grew stronger. He’d never get used to it. He noticed the broken leather band in the corpse’s outstretched hand, then the scattered beads on the ground, and finally the glinting silver charm.

Youngjae felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He picked up the silver charm, and his breath hitched. Stamped into the metal was a short string of numbers, _120126_ , the date they’d met because they couldn’t agree on on when they actually began dating. He’d made it during his metal shop club back in high school. He remembered throwing the small box at Daehyun for his birthday because they only had three minutes to get back to class from lunch and Youngjae already used two of them to sprint from his class to Daehyun’s across the building.

“There’s no way you’re dead, you motherfucker. You _promised_ ,” Youngjae whispered as he clenched the charm in his hand. He felt hot tears begin to sting his eyes, and he took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He stood up and looked down at the corpse.

He could imagine it. The zombie had gotten a hold of Daehyun’s hand, pulling the bracelet off his wrist, and he shot the zombie while trying to escape. He didn’t have time to gather the bracelet because the zombies would have been on his ass.

Youngjae grit his teeth and gathered the rest of the bracelet before stuffing the pieces in his pocket. The corpse didn’t look very old. Killed yesterday at the latest. Daehyun still had to be here.

He was somewhere in Wonju. Youngjae just needed to find him.

––––

“Oh, _sweet_ , a bow and arrow,” Junhong says, as they pass by the hunting section. He takes a bow and quiver and tosses them to Jongup.

“I might be a little rusty. I haven’t practiced in a while,” Jongup says, but his hand fits nicely against the grip. He carefully pulls the string back, and it thankfully doesn’t snap in his hands. “I don’t know how good my shots will be.”

“You two do archery, too?” Yongguk asks as he comes into the aisle. He’s never seen them shoot an arrow once in the time he’s known them. “I had no idea.”

“We used to hunt before we met you guys,” Jongup says. He slings the quiver across his back and shoulders the bow.

“But we don’t anymore because it’s a little hard to do that with broken bows,” Junhong continues as he drops bundles of arrows into his and Jongup’s quivers. “I like them over guns ‘cause they’re quieter. _And_ you can get the arrows back if they don’t break.”

“Hyung, how many life jackets do we _need?_ There are only six of us,” Daehyun says in another aisle nearby.

“I’m not having us drown in the ocean if that boat breaks. Here,” Himchan replies with a sort of ruthless tone in his voice that demands absolute obedience. “Youngjae, come get yours.”

“Okay…,” Youngjae says, a little fearful.

“Good. Where are the others?” Himchan asks.

“Hunting section,” Yongguk calls out.

Himchan appears a few moments later with four life jackets hanging from his hands. He throws one each at Yongguk, Jongup, then Junhong. “Safety first.”

Youngjae freezes and looks around. “Do you guys hear that?”

Daehyun blinks, following Youngjae’s searching gaze. “Hear what?”

The sound comes from outside the store in the mall, the irregular beat of hundreds of zombies groaning nearby. They’re getting louder, meaning they’re coming closer. Yongguk doesn’t want to admit it, but their chances of getting out alive are…slim. And he feels this immense guilt fall on his shoulders. He put them all at risk. He knew how dangerous this would be, but still… They went through with it, and they willingly followed his lead. He has to tell them, but they looked so happy and… Yongguk wants it to stay this way for as long as he lives.

“What’s going on? I thought we were being quiet enough,” Junhong whispers, clutching his bow in his hands. He looks at everyone, his worried eyes flickering between them all. “Can they sense us somehow?”

Yongguk begins pushing everybody towards the back exit. “We have to go _now_. Who has the battery?”

“I do.” Jongup falls into step beside Yongguk.

“Good. If we get separated from each other, we meet back at the van,” Yongguk says.

“What if…” Junhong hesitates, his voice quiet and his quick steps even quieter. “What if one of us doesn’t come back?”

Yongguk’s heart pounds in his chest. He can’t think of leaving any of them behind, but… He’s prepared to give his life for them if he has to. He catches Himchan glancing at him.

“We’ll wait,” Himchan replies, not breaking eye contact with Yongguk.

Yongguk blinks and faces straight ahead. “There. It’s the exit.”

The green sign is barely hanging up on the wall, but it’s there, just a few steps within their reach. Yongguk pushes on the door, and the creak that follows as soon as he does is deafening.

“Yongguk!” Himchan exclaims.

Yongguk hits the ground. The zombie falls on top of him, its jaw snapping at his face. He leans back as far as he can. He props his elbows up and pushes against the decaying flesh. It gives in a way thatmakes him sick. Thick blood mixed with pus falls on him.

“Fuck!” Himchan grabs the remnant of a fallen beam and swings it against the zombie’s head. It flies off Yongguk and into the wall.

“Holy _shit_ ,” Youngjae whispers, just barely taking his gun out.

Yongguk wipes his face of the zombie’s blood and sits up. It happened so quickly. He turns to Himchan. “Thanks.”

Himchan drops the beam and breathes out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, no problem.”

The groans have gotten louder, coming faster, and if Yongguk didn’t know any better, more frantic. Desperate, but most of all _hungry._ He pushes the door open again, ignoring the creak and ushering everyone through. No one talks as they rush through the narrow service corridor, made more ominous by the darkness and exposed wire and cracked concrete. Every occasional creak makes Yongguk jump. He follows in the back while Himchan stays in the front, the beam of his flashlight bouncing against the walls. Himchan stops and carefully opens the door at the end of the corridor.

Sunlight spills into the corridor, and they emerge out into the mall. The giant skylight windows have been broken, shining light on the trees growing in and around a fountain in the middle. Grass and wildflowers sprout in the cracks of the tile on the ground. Yongguk scans the area, losing count of how many zombies wander this floor alone. They’re everywhere he can see.

“What do we do?” Daehyun whispers.

“We find another exit,” Yongguk replies. He begins walking carefully around broken glass and dried plants. “Follow me. Be careful of the glass.”

The zombies closest to them begin shuffling towards them, as if sensing them. Yongguk watches them in the corner of his eye, and walks faster. The zombies can sense them somehow. He doesn’t know how, but they’re not making any more noise than they should.

“It’s our scent,” Daehyun says, his eyes wide. “They can smell us, and we don’t smell like them.”

“Shit.” Yongguk should’ve known better. More zombies are beginning to notice them. They’re going to be swarmed soon. “We can’t shoot them. It’ll be too loud.” He glances back at Jongup, then Junhong. “Jongup, Junhong, how good would you say your aim is?”

“Fair,” Jongup replies.

Junhong nods. “Me too.”

It’s not ideal and Yongguk doesn’t want to use them because they’ll be put at the most risk, but what choice do they have? “Alright. Here’s the plan. Jongup, go left. Junhong, right. Shoot any zombie that comes too close. Youngjae, you’re with Jongup. Daehyun, support Junhong. Himchan, keep an eye on our back. Everybody got it?”

They nod and get into position. Jongup shoots an arrow first. He hits a zombie in the stomach, and it stumbles back, but keeps walking. His second arrow hits the zombie in the head. He quickly grabs the arrows and comes back. Junhong is more hesitant before he shoots. Somehow, they make it work. It’s effective and they’re moving quickly.

“There’s a group coming up our ass,” Himchan says, his voice showing the slightest tremor of panic.

But not quick enough.

Yongguk searches for another exit. There has to be one.

“Bbang…,” Himchan urges.

That guilt comes flooding back in Yongguk’s mind. He’s seeing everything around him in perfect clarity, but he’s not _seeing_ any of it. None of it registers in his mind as real. His breaths become to come out shallow, drowning out the groans and growls around them, but they need to keep moving. They need to find another way out.

“Hyung.”

Yongguk snaps out of it. Everyone is looking at him. Himchan places a hand on his shoulder, warm and comforting.

“Clear your head, Bbang. Think this through,” Himchan says. “We’re _all_ getting out of this alive.”

But that’s too much pressure Yongguk isn’t sure he can handle. He’s become too responsible for too many people’s lives. He remembers why he doesn’t like sticking to groups.

He has to stick with this one, though. They’re depending on him.

“I think I see a service corridor up ahead,” Youngjae says, pointing a little ways ahead of them to the left. “It has to lead to an exit.”

The groans are getting louder, the horde growing bigger, and Yongguk realizes he’s been hesitating for far too long. “On my signal, we run for the corridor.” He looks to see everyone nodding. “Jongup, are you okay with the battery?”

“Yeah,” Jongup replies, and Yongguk’s heart hurts at the fear in his voice.

He _has_ to get them out of here, no matter the cost.

“One…” Yongguk feels himself grow tense.

“Two…” Yongguk can almost feel the hot breaths against the back of his neck.

“Three.”

And it’s like something had been released the moment they began sprinting for the service corridor. The zombies lunged at them. One of them began screeching like it was calling for the others. Like it’s sentient.

Yongguk dodges one zombie after another. They grab at him, pulling him back. He pushes them off, blackened, leathery flesh sliding off bone. He almost loses sight of the doors several times. Then, he sees Junhong’s arms above the zombies’ heads, waving like a lighthouse in a storm. They crash through the doors and slam them closed as the horde reaches out towards them.

“Here, here,” Himchan slides a pipe through the handles, but there’s nothing else to hold the doors down.

“We have to go,” Yongguk pants. He stares at the doors for a moment as the zombies pound on it from the other side.

They run down the corridor, their flashlights casting ominous shadows with every breathless step they take. The doors burst open, echoing loud against the narrow walls, and Yongguk knows it’s only a matter of time. They need to find an escape soon or a place to hide. The service corridor eventually opens up into a loading dock.

“Oh, thank _fuck_ ,” Himchan breathes. He heads for one of the doors, grunting as he struggles to lift the heavy door. “Can someone help me out with this?”

Daehyun and Youngjae squat beside Himchan and throw the door open. They all drop down the ledge onto the pavement below. Yongguk glances back at the service corridor. He doesn’t know if it’s the echo or their proximity, but the zombies are going to be here soon. And he realizes what he has to do now. He has to close the door or else the zombies will keep chasing after them.

Yongguk looks down at the others’ backs as they begin to head for the parking lot. He used to hate groups. He was content with just Himchan to stay by his side, but somehow, this became more than just a group. He tries to think exactly their _group_ became a _family_. He thinks about how he and Himchan took Youngjae in, how flighty he was when they first met him and how hesitant he was to stay. He thinks about Daehyun, how easily he slotted himself in and the relief that flooded Youngjae when he did. He thinks about Jongup and Junhong, forced to grow too quickly, and after seeing them work in the mall, realizes a little too late that he didn’t give them enough credit.

He thinks about Himchan, the one to anchor him back down when he truly needed it. The one who’d been with him since the beginning. They promised each other eternity, back in what feels like a lifetime ago, and he wants to spend another eternity with Himchan.

He wants to stay with them, wants to tell them how much he’s grown to love them all, but the zombies are almost here, and he made his choice. He’ll do what he has to to make sure they’re safe. He reaches up for the cord to pull the door down.

“Bbang?” Himchan’s eyes go wide when he sees what Yongguk is doing. “No––“

Everyone spins around, and the last thing Yongguk sees is the horror on their faces before the door slams shut. He flips the lock on the latch and takes a step back as the realization of what he’s done finally sinks in.

“No!” Junhong yells on the other side. “We can’t leave him!”

“We have to go,” Himchan replies, his voice thick, and Yongguk can hear the hurt too. “Junhong––“

“What if he doesn’t come back?” Junhong tries to lift the door by himself, but the door blends almost seamlessly into the ledge. There’s no way Junhong would be able to get it open, with or without a lock. “Hyung––“

“ _Junhong_ ,” Himchan scolds. “Stop it.”

The first zombies emerge from the service corridor.

Yongguk gives the door one last look before running down another corridor.

––––

Yongguk and Himchan.

Himchan and Yongguk.

They were kind of a package deal.

Himchan leans his forehead against the steering wheel. He looks at the mall in the distance, squinting to check for Yongguk. “Junhong, can I borrow your binoculars?”

“Yeah.” Junhong passes his binoculars to Himchan from the back.

Himchan searches the parking lot, but all he sees is a fuckton of zombies. The sun is beginning to set. Yongguk has been in there for too long. Himchan doesn’t know whether to leave or keep waiting. How long can he wait? How long until he’s supposed to assume Yongguk is dead?

The van is quiet, too tense to even breathe. He can hear Youngjae crying in the backseat, trying to muffle his sobs. They’re all trying to keep quiet. Youngjae hiccups, and Himchan sees Daehyun bring Youngjae closer, holding his head against his shoulder.

Himchan knows he’s supposed to cry and mourn, but that means feeling _something_. The problem is that he doesn’t. He doesn’t feel _anything_. He’s empty. He feels like someone took a knife and split him straight down the middle.

Himchan leans back in his seat. It’ll be easier to move on the sooner he accepts the fact that Yongguk is really, _truly_ gone. He’ll only get worse if he doesn’t. He moves to start the car, and Junhong sits up, his eyes lined red and puffy.

“Are we leaving? What about Yongguk-hyung?” Junhong exclaims, panicked and maybe a little angry. “You said we’d wait!”

“We’ve _been_ waiting, Junhong. How long are we supposed to wait, then?” Himchan asks, twisting in the seat to look at Junhong. “What if he doesn’t come back? The longer we wait, the higher the chances that he’s gone.”

Daehyun and Jongup are quiet, eyes wide as they stare at Himchan. Youngjae looks up and glares at Himchan, wiping the tear stains off his cheeks.

”So, we’re just gonna leave him then?” Youngjae asks, his voice raspy. “We’re not... We’re not even gonna bother to _look?”_

”He’s _gone_ , Youngjae! He’s——“ Himchan chokes on the words because as soon as the words are out of his mouth, it suddenly feels too real. He turns back to face the steering wheel. “He’s... He’s gone. And we have to go.”

Himchan doesn’t see the point in waiting anymore for a dead man.

And that’s when Himchan sees it, right in his peripheral. That goddamn orange life jacket hanging from Yongguk’s backpack. He doesn’t need binoculars to see that. He doesn’t need binoculars to see Yongguk _sprinting_ across the parking lot back to them.

“Hyung,” Jongup says, slow and disbelieving. He presses himself as close as he can to the window. “Is that…”

“Yeah.” Himchan swallows the lump that’d been in his throat. “Yeah. It is.”

“What is it?” Youngjae asks, looking at Daehyun, then Jongup, then Himchan. “What are we looking at?”

“Yongguk-hyung?!” Junhong exclaims. He grabs the binoculars to look out.

Himchan is already out the door. He meets Yongguk halfway, where they collide together, and they nearly fall to the ground. Himchan feels the breath knocked out of him, but when he has his arms wrapped around Yongguk, he knows this is something _real_. He can feel Yongguk’s breaths against his neck, feel Yongguk’s heartbeat pound against his own ribcage, feel Yongguk’s arms wrap around his waist. He knows Yongguk is _here_.

Yongguk takes a couple more moments to catch his breath. “Himchan… You’re suffocating me.”

“You stink,” Himchan chokes out between sobs because as much as he’s relieved, he doesn’t think he’s ever felt more betrayed. “Don’t do that again. _Please_.”

A chorus of “Hyung!” rings out as the others rush from the van. Youngjae is the first to reach them, teary-eyed and loud sniffling. Daehyun follows shortly after, then Junhong and Jongup, all of them at some stage of tears. One by one, they encircle Yongguk and Himchan, and it feels right.

––––

––––

Rumors of a hospitable beach house on Geoje Island begin to circulate among survivors.

 _If you manage to make it south, head to Geoje Island. Look for Wahyeon Beach House. The young men there will help you out_ , one says.

 _Just help them out with their farm as payment. They’ll also take other supplies in exchange for room and board_ , another one says.

 _Don’t fuck with them, though. They’re quick to fight back. And scary efficient_ , someone else says.

Hyunsik stumbles down the street, struggling to carry Sungjae on his back. Minhyuk limps alongside him, searching for the beach house.

“Hyung, do you see it?” Hyunsik asks. Sungjae’s breaths are coming out shallow against his neck, hot and pained, and he breaks out into a jog. “Hyung, Sungjae’s––“

“I _know_ ,” Minhyuk grumbles. He grunts as he pushes himself to keep up with Hyunsik. “I’m looking. It’s gotta be around here somewhere.”

“Hey!” someone exclaims ahead of them.

Two people stand in the distance ahead of them, and Minhyuk slows down, squinting to see them clearer.

“Do you need any help?” the voice asks again. The man standing next to him nudges him, and they exchange a few words, but Hyunsik is still too far to hear clearly.

Hyunsik decides to take a chance. Sungjae’s condition will only get worse from here. “Yes! Please! We need help! Our friend––“

The men begin jogging towards them, and when they get closer, Hyunsik sees the concern etched into their features. Hyunsik feels relief flood him, but Sungjae is still a heavy weight on his back. The men stop in front of Hyunsik and Minhyuk.

“What happened?” one of them asks.

“Our friend. He’s got an infection––“ The two men freeze, and Minhyuk shakes his head. “Wait, no, not the bite kind, just–– The normal kind. We need to–– He needs medicine. Please.“

The first man turns to the second. “Go tell Daehyun and Junhong to get a room ready. Do you remember where we put the antibiotics?”

The second man nods before taking off back to the beach house.

“Thanks, Bbang!” the first one says. He turns back to Hyunsik and Minhyuk. “Come on, the house isn’t far from here.” He looks at Minhyuk. “Can you walk?”

Minhyuk nods, gritting his teeth. “I’ll manage.”

“Great. We’ll help you patch that up, too.”

As they rush towards the beach house, the second man––Bbang, as the first man called him––stands at the gate with two younger men at the open patio door behind him, equally concerned. They quickly take Sungjae off Hyunsik’s back and rush him into a nearby room. One of them complains “I can’t believe Jongup-hyung had to go _fishing_ with Youngjae-hyung today. I’m the one who _likes_ fishing.” to which the other one replies with “Shut up. They can hear you.” They leave the door ajar so Hyunsik and Minhyuk can peer in.

“Don’t worry. They know what they’re doing,” the first man says. He pats the low table on the floor with a first aid kit sitting on top of it. “Sit down. You might end up getting an infection, too.”

Minhyuk sits down in front of the man, hissing in pain as soon as he puts pressure on his leg. Hyunsik sits beside him.

“What are your names? I’m Himchan and the one behind me is Yongguk,” Himchan says. “Figured we should get that outta the way while we’re here.”

“Minhyuk.”

“Hyunsik.” He points to the room. “And he’s Sungjae.”

Himchan hums as he dips a cotton pad in a bowl of saline water. Minhyuk rolls up the tattered leg of his pants, revealing the slash he’d gotten earlier.

“You guys were lucky to find us,” Himchan says, taking the forceps and pressing the pad against the wound. Minhyuk flinches and bites his bottom lip as Himchan continues cleaning.

“We only followed the rumors,” Hyunsik says.

“Rumors?” Himchan asks. He looks at Yongguk, who shrugs. “There are…rumors about us?”

Minhyuk nods. “Your beach house is basically an oasis for survivors.”

Himchan pauses to glance at Yongguk again, and he smiles, warm as the sand on the beach. “I did notice we seem to be picking up a lot of strays lately.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you thought this was a oneshot?? so did i but SOMEONE (you know who you are) gave me the idea to add to this au fdsjhk but tbh how could i pass up more self-indulgent domestic fluff in the most unlikely setting???
> 
> also i haven't written alternating flashback scenes in a very long time. i tried making the themes in the flashbacks related to the previous or following scenes because i wanted to explore daejae and jonglo's backgrounds a little more than last time, but if the scenes felt a little disconnected or weird oops sorry about that
> 
> come visit my [tumblr](http://www.guernica-flow.tumblr.com) if you wanna yell with me about b.a.p


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